More Than One Secret

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/24956926.

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: F/M
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug, Batman - All Media Types
Relationship: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne, Chloé
Bourgeois/Tim Drake
Character: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Damian Wayne, Chloé Bourgeois,
Tim Drake
Additional Tags: Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Lila Rossi Lies, Alya
Césaire Bashing, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette
Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug is Called MDC, Alternate Universe -
Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption,
Damian Wayne is Robin, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Adrien Agreste |
Chat Noir Bashing
Collections: Daminette, Maribat
Stats: Published: 2020-06-28 Completed: 2020-08-21 Chapters: 9/9 Words:
65755

More Than One Secret

by Tyshian

Summary

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has Secrets. Damian Wayne has Secrets. The pair together have
Secrets.

In which: Hawkmoth and Mayura are beaten but they don't know it. Adrien is an obsessive
limp noodle. Alya is an oblivious attack dog and Lila is screwed one way or the other, she
just doesn't know it yet. Chloe finds her soulmate in a caffeinated Wayne. Damian learned
about emotions from Marinette so he isn't the emotionally stumped little ball of anger he
used to be. Marinette and Damian reveal what could be considered a years long prank of
epic nature and break a few brains along the way.

The Wayne family and Bustier's class aren't going to know what hit them by the time
Marinette and Damian are done with them.

Notes

Okay so I did a thing.

This thing is full of tropes, sass, salt, and who knows what else. Let me know if I missed a
tag so I can add it.
 There will be cussing, some violence (nothing graphic though) and the hint of sexual
activities in this. (They're 18 so shush.)

I am a lover of music and dancing so EXPECT dancing in some form or another to be in

this story! When a scene was written with a particular song in mind (or mentions it) I'll
name it and who did it so you can find it.

There are background relationships but they're not prominent so I didn't tag them.

Language translations at the end!

No trigger warnings as far as I am aware.

See the end of the work for more notes

 Chaper 1
Chapter Summary

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has Secrets. Damian Wayne has Secrets. The pair together
have Secrets.

In which: Hawkmoth and Mayura are beaten but they don't know it. Adrien is an
obsessive limp noodle. Alya is an oblivious attack dog and Lila is screwed one way or
the other, she just doesn't know it yet. Chloe finds her soulmate in a caffeinated
Wayne. Damian learned about emotions from Marinette so he isn't the emotionally
stumped little ball of anger he used to be. Marinette and Damian reveal what could be
considered a years long prank of epic nature and break a few brains along the way.

The Wayne family and Bustier's class aren't going to know what hit them by the time
Marinette and Damian are done with them.

Chapter Notes

Okay so I did a thing.

This thing is full of tropes, sass, salt, and who knows what else. Let me know if I
missed a tag so I can add it.

There will be cussing, some violence (nothing graphic though) and the hint of sexual
activities in this. (They're 18 so shush.)

I am a lover of music and dancing so EXPECT dancing in some form or another to be

in this story! When a scene was written with a particular song in mind (or mentions it)
I'll name it and who did it so you can find it.

There are background relationships but they're not prominent so I didn't tag them.

Language translations at the end!

No trigger warnings as far as I am aware.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It seems no matter how things change, they still stay the same , Marinette thought to herself
with a sigh as she settled into her seat on a lovely September morning. She was the only one in the
classroom yet the seat she had chosen this year held the same hallmarks as her seat for the last few
years: back row and alone. Different classroom, same seat choice. Honestly at this point she
preferred it and if she had been told that four years ago when she was basically shoved into it, she
would have called shenanigans.

She was in her final year of school before moving on to university and even though it was
only the first month of the school year, she was more than ready for it to be over and done with so
she could get away. It seemed that age hadn’t helped most of her classmates grow up much. At this
point she just didn’t care about most of them beyond superficially as human beings. She was
cordial with a few of them but for the most part she didn’t bother.

She had better things to do and better people to associate with these days.

As if her thoughts summoned them, her classmates started trickling into the room. None of
them paid her attention beyond glancing at her and she was more than accepting of that. Even the
two biggest annoyances in her class, Alya and Lila, did no more than sneer in her direction before
they took their seats in front of Adrien and a perpetually quiet Nino. Chloé was the last one into the
room and she ignored everyone and made her way to the seat in front of Marinette, greeting her
with a nod as usual. No way Marinette would have believed her most cordial, almost friendly,
relationship in the class would be Chloé if you’d have told her that just over four years ago.

Miss Bustier came into the room just before the bell announced the start of class. They’d had
the same classmates and the same damn teachers for going on five years now thanks to akuma
attacks being concentrated in this area of Paris. Very few new teachers and students had skewed
the setup. Some of the schools had even been rearranged, hence the reason Marinette still went to
school in the building across from the home she’d lived in her whole life. The lycée she would
have gone to had split and merged with the smaller collègees due to fewer students going into it.

There were some positives to it though. She was significantly closer to home, so it was easy
to slip away for lunch or to avoid her classmates after school. There was also the fact that her
classmates and teachers were known entities. It was relatively easy to avoid sparking a new fire
amongst them. It had been a while since they actively bullied her since she’d stopped responding to
Lila’s lies and manipulations. The girl probably thought she had broken Marinette.

Idiot, Marinette snorted to herself mentally. She was by no means broken. Not even close
and before the school year was out Lila and Alya especially were going to find out the hard way. A
sly little smirk quirked up the corner of her lip, hidden from view by her hand as she rested her chin
upon her palm. She could hardly wait. In the meantime, Miss Bustier called the class to order.

“Good morning everyone! Is everyone almost ready to spend a month overseas?” she asked
in a perky voice. Too perky if you asked Marinette. No one did. Cheers, giggles, and whispers ran
through the room as most of the others responded to the question eagerly. “Excellent! Now, let’s
get through this next week and we will be off on our adventure, learning new things and exploring
a possibly new to you country!”

The woman was just asking for her students to not be able to pay attention! The class had won a
trip to spend a month in Gotham, New Jersey courtesy of Wayne Enterprises’ Educational Jump
Start program. It was to be an educational trip with a modified academic course and internships at
Wayne Enterprises taking place throughout the month geared toward preparation for university and
business management. While there they’d be enrolled as temporary part-time students of Gotham
Academy, the premiere private school in the metro area. She wasn’t completely sure how the
grades were going to transfer back to Paris for classes that weren’t available or taken in both
schools but Marinette was determined to enjoy herself; away from the toxic people she was
required to share airspace with currently.

That was one reason she’d written and created the presentation that was sent in as the class’s
application in the first place. Her class had certainly done numerous things to earn the trip; charity
work, community service, been creative in their own endeavors in areas such as music or
photography, and many other things. They were honestly decent teens if you took their behavior
toward Marinette out of the picture. So, she had done that when she put together the application
packet. Marinette couldn’t find it in herself to sabotage their futures by being petty.

Of course, Lila had immediately taken credit for the class winning. Marinette had no desire
to deal with her class, so she said nothing. The truth would come out eventually and it would be
glorious to watch the burn out from the outside.

*****

The final bell rang, releasing students from what they perceived to be cages. Marinette’s last class
of the day was an art class, picked to help broaden and further strengthen her already considerable
drawing skills. It was one of a couple classes that was relaxing for her due to the absence of any of
her primary classmates.

Quietly she packed up her things and with a nod to the instructor who was sitting at his desk
and doodling in a sketchbook of his own, she slipped out of the room. A sharp turn took her
through the door that lead to the stairway down. At the bottom was a single door exit that most of
the students weren’t fully aware of. Luckily for her she knew; and it was closer to her home than
the main doors she had to use in the morning. More than once she’d lamented that only the main
doors are unlocked at all during the day. It was routine for her to make sure she had everything she
needed after school before going to her last class, so she was able to slip out of the building before
the vast majority of her schoolmates were even at their lockers.

Breezily waving to her mother (if she even saw it) as she went by the window of the bakery,
she was soon home and entering her room. Tikki phased through Marinette’s purse and zipped over
to the little box Marinette had turned into a pillowed nest for her. A second later she popped back
into view holding a macaron.

“Do you have a plan for the rest of the day Marinette?” the red and black kwami asked
between bites of her cookie.

Marinette smiled at her, “I was thinking I’d work on the latest commission from Uncle
Jagged since I’ve got nothing else going on tonight.” Turning toward her desk, she grabbed her
latest sketchbook and flipped it open to a specific page. Holding it out to Tikki she asked, “What do
you think so far?”

Sparkling blue eyes skipped around the page as she examined her Chosen’s work.
“Excellent! Is it complete yet or do you have more in mind?”

“I was thinking of making this one a whole set. Jacket, pants, and shirt; he wanted something
for award season, and this would give him a whole outfit. I’ll sketch up the pants and shirt with
some notations and send it off to him as soon as I can. Maybe even tonight if no akumas pop up.”

Putting her words into action, Marinette settled herself on her chaise with her pencils and
sketchbook, earbuds in to listen to some of Jagged’s music playing on her phone. As she worked,
Tikki quietly nibbled a couple macarons and observed her Chosen; and Chosen she was. The girl
was the true Ladybug Miraculous wielder of her generation.

On the surface Marinette’s looks had matured gracefully. Her thick black hair reached the
small of her back but was usually tossed up in a messy bun or braid to keep the length hidden and
out of her way. Eyes the color of bluebells shimmered as she focused on her sketchbook. She’d
grown taller, closer in height to her father than her mother. That wasn’t too hard though, Sabine
was under five feet tall.
 Inwardly, she still had a zest for fashion design but had added an interest in martial arts and
dancing. Both carried over into her life as Ladybug to great success. No longer was she the
outgoing girl she had been before Lila joined her class in collège. She’d become withdrawn and
quiet unless she was around certain people, none of whom went to her school.

When Lila had tried to get Marinette expelled, it had succeeded in turning the class against
her even if it hadn’t worked to get Marinette out of the school. The administration hadn’t been able
to refute the fact that video recording had showed Lila walking down the stairs on her own before
sitting down to scream like a banshee. The complete lack of injury from ‘being shoved down the
stairs’ didn’t hurt Marinette’s case either.

Of course, none of that was made known to the students by the teachers. They’d merely been
told the issue had been dealt with. Lila had claimed to her classmates that she’d asked the school to
go easy on Marinette because she “couldn’t stand to be the reason Marinette would have such a
hard time later on when she tried to get into university!” Tikki rolled her eyes at even the thought
of such a little miss having a detrimental effect on Marinette with the connections the black-haired
girl had gathered over the years.

Marinette had grown and was on track to being one of the greatest of her Bugs. That wasn’t
even including her responsibilities as Guardian after Fu had to pass the box to her a few years ago.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Tikki decided to settle into her nest for a rest.

The afternoon faded into evening as Marinette finished her sketch of the idea she’d come up
with for Jagged. Putting her pencils down and letting a stretch roll through her muscles she looked
around for Tikki. She wasn’t in eyesight but knew she was near. Picking up her phone she took a
few pictures of the finished result, including notations, before sending them off to Jagged before
shutting off her music.

“I’m going to the kitchen for something to eat Tikki. You want me to bring anything up for
you?”

The little goddess of creation popped up out of her nest, “Some more cookies would be
amazing Marinette.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back then.” Swiftly arriving in the kitchen, she pulled together a
sandwich of deli meats, cheeses, a few appropriate vegetables and of course bread her papa had
baked. Added to this were a couple macarons for herself and a handful of them to refill Tikki’s
stash. A drink of freshly made lemonade and she was returning to her room; happy her parents
were out catering an event for the evening.

Content to lazily browse the web after she’d eaten, she and Tikki spent the next hour in
comfortable silence with only the occasional comment about something they saw. When an
incoming Skype call on her phone rang in the silence Tikki, who’d been sitting on Marinette’s
shoulder leaning against her neck, jumped a little. Perfectly content to let the kwami keep
snuggling against her neck, the teen answered the phone while she put an earbud in the opposite
ear.

“Damian! You’re calling early. It’s only a little after six here,” she couldn’t keep the smile
off her face or out of her voice if she tried.

A deep voice she’d grown to love over the years answered her as easily in French as it could
in any other language it spoke, “Bluebell. We had a half day today. And I have some information
for you.”
 “Oh?”

“I know how you can get at Hawkmoth and Mayura,” his answer caused her breath to hitch in
her throat.

Coughing to clear her throat, she spoke firmly, “Okay walk me through it please.” He did
just that over the next few minutes, his research and resources easily filling in the holes in what she
knew. “I think I can do that. Got any idea when the ideal time would be? The man is an excessive
recluse for all the fact he’s a huge name in fashion although I’m not quite sure how that’s not
changed but whatever.”

Damian sighed and she could hear his chair squeak a little as he shifted. “That’s the thing.
The only time in the next six months he’ll be accessible is tonight. Natalie too.”

“Shit.” Taking a deep, steadying breath she sat quiet for a moment. “Okay. I’ll do it; I need
to get them at the same time or whichever one I miss will just come at me. Run me through
everything again and we’ll make sure I’ve got it.”

If the pair of them had anything to say about it, that pair of Miraculous abusers were going to
get their worlds abruptly smacked around by a very pissed off Guardian.

*****

Several hours later saw Marinette returning home via the main residence door, having left as
herself earlier. Once in her room the bags she carried were placed near her sewing machine.
Picking up her phone she saw that her mother hadn’t even seen the text she’d sent to let her know
she was going to get the material needed for Jagged’s commission. And to take care of Hawkmoth
and Mayura but that was another kettle of fish entirely. With a quick text she let her mother know
she was home again; not that they’d see each other until the next day but whatever. Wow, teen
angst much? She thought to herself.

Marinette huffed out a sigh, deciding to pull her mind away from her parents, and flopped
back onto her chaise, boneless. A beat of silence. A giggle. Trying to keep her giggles under
control she jumped up to call Damian via video chat on her computer, knowing he’d be able to talk
to her.

He’d barely connected the call before she started laughing and dancing around the room in
joy, completely unable to contain herself. Damian watched her from the screen with a soft, fond
expression on his face. If any of his three older brothers or other family members were to see it,
they’d wonder who was pretending to be the youngest member of their family. Marinette, on the
other hand, was quite used to Damian expressing many emotions.

“Done! Done, done, done! He’s done!” she sang. A few more twirls and she took her seat in
front of the computer. “Damian I cannot thank you enough for your help with this. I couldn’t have
done it without your help.”

“So, what you’re saying is you’re happy,” Damian smirked, emerald green eyes sparkling
with good humor as he watched her.

“Mi amor, I’m fucking ecstatic!” Marinette let out a full-on cackle. “I could waltz into
school tomorrow, give Lila a hug and not feel a single negative thing.”

“Wow.” Damian had to ask, “I know you texted me the results but how’d it really go?”

Marinette snorted, “Easy peasy lemon squeezy. They had no idea I was even there and since
the room was so small, I was able to stun them quick enough neither was able to transform. After
that, revoking their rights and abilities to wield a Miraculous ever again went without a hitch. I got
the Butterfly and the Peacock, and they got a selective memory wipe. I also took the chance to
swing by the Agreste mansion and grabbed anything Miraculous related, including the book he
kept in his safe. Adrien was complaining about a photoshoot taking up his entire evening so I knew
he’d be out too.” She tipped her head back with a sigh. “This means no attacks to worry about
while I’m in Gotham. We need to celebrate while I’m there! Please?” she turned bluebell eyes on
him, begging to be able to cut loose a little.

Damian’s eyelids dropped to half mast, “I don’t see why we can’t do exactly that. There’s a
new dance club for those ages eighteen and up that’s supposed to be acceptable. We won’t be able
to drink alcohol but I don’t find that to be a deterrent.”

Marinette clapped her hands, “Great! Now why don’t you keep me company until either you
have to go or I pass out? I can get a start on Uncle Jag’s new outfit while we talk.”

“Sounds like a plan, mi alma,” he responded with a smile.

*****

“Hello, my name is Ladybug. I’m calling on behalf of Paris. We have a villain that is taking
control of people by utilizing their negative feelings. They’re causing major damage to the city and
endangering or right out killing the citizens. I need help to take him down; my partner is barely
able to get through a fight due to joking around. Please contact me using the email address this
video is attached to. Thank you!” a soft voice said in accented English. Hal Jordon scoffed and
sent the email to the archive folder. He couldn’t just delete it since the last time he had, Batman
had almost skinned him. Apparently they had to have a copy of all correspondence.

They’d have been told if Paris was getting blown up. Kids these days really took cosplay too an
extreme.

*****

It was a commonly accepted thing that soulmates, while an existing phenomenon, were an
unknown quantity in the grand scheme of life. They existed and they were cherished. The unknown
came in the form of why did they exist and where did they come from? How did they work? Aside
from the obvious that is.

No one really knew the answers, but people accepted that. They cared more about the part
where people could be soulmates; they had a perfect match in the world. It wasn’t possible for
every single person on the planet to find his or her soulmate, but a large percentage did in fact do
so. Some found them young; some found them later in life. There were even occasions where a pair
found each other and didn’t even know it. Those were extremely rare.

There were a few in Marinette’s class that were already bonded. Mylene and Ivan being the
most obvious. Not far behind them in the ‘obviously’ category was Max, Kim and Alix, a rare triad
bond. (That bond activating had been quite the homecoming for Max after being abroad for a year
and a half.) It had thrown almost everyone for a loop until they thought about the personalities
involved and watched the trio for a little while. Then it was obvious. Many had thought for a while
that Alya and Nino were a bond, but it wasn’t the case. Alya had gone far into the deep end of
Lila’s lies and refused to listen to anyone except her if she was questioned about it, including Nino.
It had shattered their relationship about a year after Lila arrived. Now Nino had distanced himself
from his ex and her bestie, but he hadn’t approached Marinette for more than anything other than
to apologize for not listening and being there for her before. He’d been courteous enough after that
to keep his distance although he’d back Marinette if Lila tried something blatant against her such as
the attempt at getting her expelled.

If a soul mated pair were old enough to have started puberty (roughly the ages of twelve to
thirteen) but not fully matured emotionally and physically, their bond activated but the nature of the
bond wasn’t a full romantic one initially. It was friendship. Quite often, they became each other’s
best and closest confidants. More than once it had been postulated that those soul mated pairs (or
however many were part of the bond) were the strongest and deepest bonds to be found even if
bonds could only be detected and not measured according to proper scientific methods.

Unknown to literally everyone in her life in Paris (except Tikki), Marinette had met her soul
mate just after her twelfth birthday and their bond had activated instantly.

*****

The following week passed for Marinette in a blur. She got Jagged’s new outfit finished and
sent off. By this point she’d made so many for him that she didn’t need to have fittings for most
things. Her packing took place over the course of the whole week, based upon a list she’d been
compiling as she thought of things over the last three months. She’d done schoolwork, attended
dance classes and practiced at a local dojo to keep her self-defense skills sharp, even outside of
when she was Ladybug. Amongst all of this she was often talking to or texting Damian.

Her parents walked across the street to the school with her to see her off. They claimed it
was easier. This way they didn’t have to close the bakery and go to the airport and back before
reopening. They just needed five minutes to help her get her bags across the street to the school
where the class was meeting to take a bus to the airport.

Once through check in, bag check, and so forth she made her way to the gate their flight left
from. Each student had been responsible for booking their own seat as airfare was one of the few
things not covered by the school or the Jump Start program.

Marinette didn’t mind as it made it easier to avoid being near Lila and Alya. She’d had to
wait to book her seat until she learned what seats they’d be in, but it turned out better for her. Lila
and Alya were in the cheaper seats in the main cabin and Marinette had decided to splurge for
herself for once. She and Chloé had ended up with seats next to each other in the first-class cabin.
Lila and Alya couldn’t get to her. Obviously, Chloé had gotten her dad to spring for her seat, but
Marinette had paid for her own straight up. Not that anyone in the class was aware of that little
nugget of information thank you very much.

Sometimes it paid to have at least one high profile repeat client.

The two girls settled into their seats, each side eyeing the other. They were silent until after
they were in the air when Chloé sided and turned to look at Marinette.

“Look, I know we never got along before Lila showed up and that’s my fault. I was a classic
example of privileged bitchy princess and I targeted you. I’m sorry for that. I’m also sorry for not
speaking up against Lila for all the shit she’s been pulling the last few years. My life has been
going through a few upheavals that really put shit into perspective for me,” the blonde spoke
quietly, her voice modulated to only reach Marinette’s ears.

Marinette studied Chloé’s face silently. “Thank you for that. I can’t say whether we’ll
progress from here, but I can say I am willing to let bygones be bygones. It helps that you’ve not
been trying to bully my like you used to,” her voice was just as quiet.
 “Actually,” Chloé let out a small though genuine laugh, “I always rather admired the way
you’d stand up to me and give as good as you got. At the time it seemed like you were the only one
who did; still does when I think back.”

Marinette giggled, “We did have some epic ones, didn’t we?” They were both quiet before
Marinette spoke again, “How’d you know Lila’s full of it? I can’t get anyone else to believe me
and Adrien is no help.”

“Her being Jagged Stone’s muse after saving his cat? Yeah right. I’ve met Fang in the halls
of daddy’s hotel too many times to buy that he’d ever have a cat. Knowing who Ladybug is when
she’s all up about the secret identity thing? Hah! Anyone who’s ever asked her who she is knows
that one, except Alya apparently. Need I go on?” Chloé waved her hands as she talked. Suddenly
she froze. Turning to look Marinette square in the eyes, “What do you mean Adrien is no help?”

The shorter girl rolled her eyes, “He’s known she was lying since the very first time she
showed up. I watched Ladybug confront Lila about them being best friends right in front of him.
Then when she threatened me, he told me to take the high road and let her be since she wasn’t
hurting anyone.”

Chloé blinked, “Wait, she threatened you? With what?”

“She basically threatened to take all my friends away. I think her goal was or is to make my
school life as miserable and lonely as possible.” Marinette paused before looking at the blonde
with a wicked smirk, “Too bad the little idiot has no idea who she decided to mess with. When I
decide to make my move, she’s screwed. And I did get a little of my own back when I decided I
was done. That’s why she and Alya haven’t escalated like most bullies do.”

“You know Dupain-Cheng, you’re not half bad.” Marinette responded with a typical Chloé
flip of her braid and raising of her nose. Both girls burst into laughter, shockingly comfortable in
the rapport they’d built in such a short time.

*****

Jason and Tim had a plan. They needed to find out what the hell was going on with their
youngest brother. He’d been spotted almost smiling at something on his phone, which over the last
couple of years had become an item he was usually fiddling with.

What the hell was he doing? Plotting mayhem? They needed to find out.

So, one evening while Demon Spawn was out with Batman, they’d managed to get their
hands on that phone, eager for answers. Only to find the damn thing was encrypted with something
they hadn’t seen before. Despite their best efforts, Tim and Babs were unable to crack it even
working together.

How the hell had the brat managed that?

“Finding anything interesting?” a voice asked in a bland voice from behind them.

“Not now Demon Spawn,” Jason answered before all three at the massive Cave computer
setup froze. Tim and Jason, in unison, turned to find their brother behind them, already out of his
Robin suit. He’d been back that long already and they hadn’t noticed? How?

Barbara, known as Oracle when in the Cave, cleared her throat, “Where’s Bats? He turned
his comm off.”
 “Quick meeting with the Commissioner so he sent me ahead,” Damian lifted a shoulder
before stepping around his brothers and disconnecting his phone from the computer. As he turned
to leave the cave he said, “Might want to delete whatever you downloaded off this. Part of the
encryption protocols wipes the receiving system clean. I would imagine there are things there none
of you want to lose.” He paused, “The rest of my personal tech has the same encryption on it by
the way. It isn’t worth your time.”

Tim and Barbara let out a string of words that weren’t fit for children’s ears as they hurried
to save the computer’s data. At least he hadn’t threatened to kill them this time.

*****

Some eight to ten hours later the two girls were exhausted from their trip, felt absolutely fed
up with their classmates, and had somehow bonded to the point that they’d gone from cool and
cordial former adversaries to having an extremely comfortable camaraderie. Neither was sure when
it happened, but their best guess was somewhere around the second hour of the flight. Lila and
Alya had figured out that Marinette wasn’t in eyeshot of them even though they knew she’d been at
the airport and had boarded the plane.

So, they’d gone looking, starting in the rest of the main cabin area. It had just so happened
that Chloé had stood to use the restroom and Alya had clapped eyes on her from the other end of
the aisle. Allowing a wicked smirk to cross her face at the not a little jealous expression on Lila’s
face once she’d spotted her, Chloé glanced down to her seatmate.

“Hey DC, you want to mess with the gruesome twosome?”

“Always when I can. Why?”

Chloé flat out cackled at that response, “Can’t say I hadn’t noticed you getting your subtle
little digs in over the years. Anyway, they’re at the other end of the aisle staring straight at me.”

The grin that slipped across Marinette’s face was decidedly not an innocent one. A moment
of silence and she nodded. “Okay, go to the bathrooms behind us. Make sure you step to the side so
they can see me, get their attention somehow if you can. Hold up one finger behind your back
when they’re looking, and I’ll get up like I’m getting something from the overhead bin. Have your
camera ready.”

Chloé moved away, Marinette keeping her head up just far enough to be able to watch for
Chloé’s signal. When it came, she slipped into the aisle, making sure to face toward the duo she
usually avoided once she was fully in the aisle. After letting a stretch roll through her she opened
the overhead compartment that held her things and pulled out a neck pillow. At no point did she
look directly at Alya or Lila, but she was still able to clearly see the gob smacked expressions on
their faces before hate started to ooze into view.

Oh yes! That couldn’t have been better unless they were closer. She could almost see the
green haze fill their vision. She’d been sitting down for a few minutes before Chloé came back,
having completed both missions. Her blue eyes sparkled brilliantly as, without a word, the blonde-
haired young lady held out her phone, video ready to play.

Marinette laughed for a good five minutes. She laughed for another ten once she heard Lila
trying to get the flight attendant in first class to let her in or make Marinette move to the ‘cheap
seats.’ She almost choked when she heard Lila be informed that if she didn’t sit down and stay
away from the first-class section for the rest of the flight she’d be reported as a disturbance and
banned from all flights of that airline.
 It was awesome.

Marinette hadn’t missed the ‘vicious’ glares thrown her way by Alya and Lila once they’d
disembarked from that flight. She didn’t miss the glares thrown her way at every chance thereafter
either. If Marinette had cared, it would have made for a very tense bus ride to the hotel.

As it was, she was too tired and had expected such a reaction anyway (although the pair was
nowhere near as scary as they thought they were. It was almost cute.) Now though, they were at
their destination and they clustered around the lobby of the very plush hotel waiting for Miss
Bustier to get their room keys and hand out room assignments.

Alya almost stomped over to Marinette once the teacher’s back was turned. “How did you
end up in first class? Who’d you push around this time?”

Marinette turned to look at the fledgling reporter, her blank expression not changing beyond a
raised eyebrow. “How did I end up in first-class? I bought the damn ticket,” her voice was cool.
Alya was clearly not expecting such an answer as her mouth dropped open. “I don’t require pushing
people around or buying them off to get where I want to go in life Césaire. Nor do I find it
necessary to lie to get there. Now kindly fuck off.”

Jaws dropped all around. What on earth?! Since when did Marinette swear?

“Well that’s just rude!” the chestnut-haired girl Marinette loved to loathe stepped up.
“Honestly, Marinette, what’s your problem. First you get us yelled at by the flight attendants and
now you’re being nasty to Alya for no reason.”

Chloé cleared her throat, “First, give credit to the right person. I am the one who put the flight
attendants onto you guys. Not Dupain-Cheng. She just got to enjoy the show that you put on.
Second, Césaire stepped up in our business about something she had no business in. Good reporters
aren’t nosey about others’ personal business. That’s what tabloid writers do.”

More jaws dropped. A snort was heard but it was behind her so Marinette couldn’t see who it
was. There was no way she was taking her eyes off the gruesome twosome at this point to see who
it could have been. She’d been taught better than that thank you very much.

Miss Bustier came over at last with the room keys. That went exactly as she expected.
Everyone had a roommate except her due to an uneven number of girls in the class. The usual
suspects were paired together; Adrien and Nino, Alya and Lila, Max and Kim, Juleka and Rose.
Unexpectedly Chloé’s roommate was Alix, who was unlikely to be around much since her two
bonded were sharing a suite.

Being the last to receive her key, Marinette let the others get far enough ahead of her that
there would be no one to bother her on the way up. Including the teachers turned chaperones, of
which there were two; one for each sex.

The hotel they were in was extremely plush and had extremely good security measures in
place. Most of the Wayne hotels were like that and since they were being hosted by the WE Jump
Start Program their host was essentially Bruce Wayne. That man apparently didn’t know what
‘reasonable budget’ meant. Not that Marinette felt inclined to complain about it considering she
ended up with her own mini suite to stay in for a month. Everyone else ended up with an actual
two-bedroom suite so they each had their own sleeping area. Even the teachers were sharing a suite
shockingly enough. Marinette wasn’t sure that was the normal procedure, but she didn’t give a
damn either.
 Her room was on a different floor from everyone else since hers was a different type. It was
tastefully decorated with cream colored walls and warm wood flooring covered in spots by soft
gray rugs. Just inside the door, along the right side of the short entrance hall, was the door to the
bathroom. Past that the room opened into a comfortable, airy space that Marinette could easily see
herself spending time relaxing in over the next month. The living area of the suite had a small
kitchenette area to the right alongside the wall shared with the bathroom. Oh good, I can make food
if I want. Not likely though. Merging with that was a sitting area with a plush couch and matching
chair around a small coffee table. Opposite them sat a television beside a desk and chair.

The sleeping area was separated by a half wall and when Marinette stepped past that she
almost squealed. The large balcony doors were opposite her and the view that was past her full
balcony was glorious in the twilight of evening and sparkle of city lights. Added to that delight, the
bed was a king-sized monstrosity with at least eight pillows for her to enjoy. The bed itself was, as
she found out as soon as she flopped onto it, divinely soft.

Sending off a text to Damian, she let him know she’d arrived in Gotham safely and that she
was going to spend the evening getting settled into her room before going out to grab a quick bite
to eat. Putting her phone down she got to work. Her clothes went into the wardrobe that was
alongside the bed. Some sewing supplies that she’d brought with were set up in the living room
area. She planned to make her outfit for the Wayne Enterprises Halloween Gala that was at the end
of the month. Her phone ringing pulled her from her musings over what should go where.

The specialized ringtone told her who it was before she even got to it. With a grin she
answered, “Hey you.”

“Mia cara. I can get away if you’re still hungry and would like some company,” his voice
rolled over her soothingly.

“I always want to see you if that’s what you’re asking. How’re you getting here?”

“My bike. It’s more low-key than one of the cars.”

Marinette hummed, “How about you surprise me? I’m not in the mood for anything specific
and you know what I do and don’t like.” Damian agreed to the plan and the two said their
goodbyes before disconnecting the call.

Deciding that she’d gotten settled in adequately, she sat down to work on sketching designs
up to see if she could figure out what to go to the gala as since it was a masquerade. The dress code
was black-tie, so any costumes had to blend into that. Marinette had a feeling a lot of people were
just going to throw on matching domino or masquerade masks and call it good. She wanted to up
the ante a little bit.

She wouldn’t be a budding fashion designer if she didn’t.

After an undetermined time, she was jarred from her sketching by a knock on her door. A
quick peek through the peep hole showed her it was Damian. A flip of the lock and she opened the
door to let her favorite person into the room.

After she’d closed the door and he’d put the food down on the desk he swept her up into his
arms for a hug, lifting her almost completely off her feet. Not a shocking thing considering he was
six feet tall and she barely reached five-two; the muscles he’d built up over the years certainly
contributed to the ease with which he did so.

“I missed you so much, beloved” he whispered in Arabic in her ear as he held her tightly to
him.

“I’ve missed you to, my heart,” she answered right back in the same language.

The two had known each other since just after Marinette’s twelfth birthday when they’d
bumped into each other, quite literally, while in Paris. Damian had been there with his family on
business and gotten permission to wander around the area near where a business meeting was.
Marinette had been returning home from delivering some of her parents’ pastries to a nearby order
for her maman when they’d somehow crashed into each other. Damian had caught her arms to
prevent her from hitting the ground and both had felt a soul pulsing rush of energy.

They’d activated the latent soulmate bond that existed between them.

Despite Damian being a grouchy, cold and haughty young teen, he had immediately felt that
Marinette, little miss cheerful sugar buzz, was someone he wanted in his life permanently. They’d
spent as much time together as they could while Damian was in Paris and every other time he
returned. Their very first meeting they’d exchanged contact information after spending most of the
day together, and both agreed they didn’t want to share what they’d just discovered with others.

It certainly helped that Damian had been trained as an assassin and warrior from an early age.
He knew very well how to keep things hidden. He helped Marinette keep the secret by giving her
tips to avoid questions. She’d also been able to put those tips into play once she became Ladybug;
well, those tips and more that he’d given her. When they couldn’t be together physically, they’d
communicated via email and video chat on their various devices in between the occasional trips
Damian’s family made to Paris. Once Marinette had become the Guardian toward the end of her
second year as Ladybug it had gotten much easier to see each other in person.

It could possibly be seen as an abuse of power or the power of a Miraculous but whenever she
had a particularly bad day (or sometimes even if she didn’t) she’d pull out the Horse miraculous
and use the power Kaalki gave her to portal to Gotham to see Damian for even just an hour. It
helped her more than she could say. The horse kwami was more than willing for it to happen.

The kwami all adored Marinette and she was just as fond of them. It made being the
Guardian mean so much more to her.

Oh yes indeed, Damian absolutely knew Marinette’s identity as Ladybug and the Guardian.
Tikki may have told her to keep it a secret but once Marinette had told her about her soulmate
bond, the little kwami had almost squealed in delight and ordered her to tell him. Damian knew all
her secrets, concerns, and dreams. She knew almost all his. The only secret she didn’t know
included his father and brothers. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew about it; knew it was
there. Damian had told her he didn’t think he could share since it wasn’t just his secret and
Marinette couldn’t bear to make him tell her what it was.

They’d shared their knowledge as well. Damian knew languages Marinette didn’t and vice
versa. Between the two of them, when they first met they had known seven languages with a
couple overlaps. Now they were both fluent in all seven of them and learning more. Marinette had
added to his knowledge of stretching techniques while he helped her polish up her martial arts
skills. He taught Marinette the same techniques that had earned him the moniker ‘Ice Prince’ by
his classmates at Gotham Academy while she taught him how to interact with others more
naturally as well as expressing and understanding his emotions. They shared knowledge on any
topic that interested each other that they had.

By the time their bond started to evolve into a romantic relationship around the time
Marinette turned sixteen, their bond was among the strongest that existed.
 They were simply holding each other, enjoying the silence when a rumble sounded through
the room. Marinette pulled away with a laugh. “I’m apparently hungry! C’mon let’s eat,” she
switched to English. They routinely skipped between the languages they knew in order to keep
their skills with them up to Damian’s high standards.

“Good idea. But first,” with that he pulled her flush against him and into a kiss that was so
intense it ached. They were both dazed when they pulled apart and it took a moment or two to catch
their breath.

Marinette’s stomach growled again and broke the moment, causing peals of laughter from
both. With the food set out on the coffee table for easy sharing, they dug in.

“What costume or theme do you want to go with for the Gala at the end of the month?”
Marinette asked.

Chapter End Notes

Translations: courtesy of either google translate or the translator in my word program.

Let me know if they're wrong please!
mi amor: my love (Spanish)
mi alma: my soul (Spanish)
mia cara: my dear (Italian)
 Chapter 2
Chapter Summary

In which: Chloe learns something that breaks her brain after she meets a certain
someone. Dick finds out about Hawkmoth and his actions. Marinette kicks ass and
doesn't bother taking names after losing a bet with herself. Tim learns to choke on air.

Chapter Notes

Oh dear...more tropes, sass, salt, and probably more. Yay? Either way, I did it. It was
fun. I like playing in this sandbox apparently (see end notes for explanation).
I was going to post this tomorrow but since it is a holiday here tomorrow, I won't be
home and while I love my tablet for reading and even writing, it isn't really ideal for
posting; so you are getting this chapter a little earlier than I originally planned. Yay!
*swings noise makers and rattles around while confetti cannons go off in the
background*

I LOVE music. I honestly do. (I'm even listening to some right now) I love dancing
too...expect some in this fic later even if there isn't any in this chapter.
I also ADORE fanart. If you find yourself inspired to create something based upon my
story and upload it online, please let me see! I can't draw to save my life.

There is some violence in this chapter near the end, some cussing (including a few f-
bombs), and a tiny hint of not nice sexual intentions (also near the end). Nothing
graphic to be honest. I will say though, that I do have some martial arts training...the
moves used are REAL, with a single possible exception which should be glaringly
obvious and even then I would bet money those with more training than I and fewer
physical hindrances could pull it off.

Language translations at the end!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The class had the next day, Sunday, as a free day to acclimate to the new time zone and
explore the hotel. Students could go out into the immediate area but if they left a three-block
radius, they were required to inform one of the two teachers what they wanted to do and see if they
could get permission. That wasn’t all that likely to happen unless they were in a group of at least
two, preferably more, for safety sake.

Marinette figured that’d last all of three days for her since there was no way anyone would
want to group up with her. She had a running bet with herself on when and how her classmates and
the teachers with them were going to make that moot. It isn’t like Miss Bustier or Mr. Marchand,
one of the auxiliary teachers at François-Dupont, would do anything about it. Miss Bustier had
already proven she wouldn’t, and Mr. Marchand was constantly trying to get into her good graces.
Damian had laughed and made a crack about them hooking up during the trip when Marinette had
told him about the chaperoning teachers when he brought her supper.

Monday morning found the class having breakfast in the casual restaurant that was off the
hotel lobby. Marinette placed herself along the wall by herself while Lila held court in the center of
the room. Across the room she could see Chloé sitting with Alix as the two watched what was
going on as well.

Alya’s muffled shriek of delight drew attention. “You’re kidding! No way! You’re really the
soulmate of the Damian Wayne? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lila blushed demurely and nodded, “We activated our bond two years ago but because of the
media he wanted to keep it quiet so I don’t get swarmed. He’s so sweet, always thinking of me
first.”

“He’s the youngest of Bruce Wayne, right?” asked Rose.

“Yes. My Damibear is just the sweetest!” Lila simpered. At that point Marinette tuned the
little twit out. Honestly, as if Damian would ever fall for a slug like her. It would be quite amusing
to watch the reaction when her class found out exactly who Damian Wayne was.

With that thought in mind she pulled out her phone and threw a text out. ~Well love
apparently, you’re soulmate is one Lila Rossi and her ‘Damibear’ is just the sweetest!~ He was
going to get her for that but she figured he’d need to know anyway.

~She is saying WHAT???~ Her phone chirped (literally since her text tone for him was a
bunch of birds chirping) and then chirped couple more times. After reading the second and third
texts he sent Marinette had to stifle a laugh. Her soulmate was a genius, both literally and
figuratively and she loved how his mind worked.

After everyone finished eating, they made their way to Wayne Enterprises tower via bus.
Most of the class was chattering excitedly but it wasn’t about their tour. Lila was still bragging
about being bonded to the youngest Wayne. Marinette found it a bit hard to not go off on the girl,
but she managed to keep her cool and a blank face. Damian wasn’t the only one who had a poker
face a pro player would kill for.

The lobby of the Wayne Enterprises tower, often just called Wayne Tower by natives, was
bright yet soothing with off white walls and sand colored tiles broken up by rugs in strategic
places. The large welcome desk in the center was manned by at least three people and there were
another two more standing beside it who looked up as they came in. Marinette saw them exchange
glances before the older one approached Miss Bustier and Mr. Marchand.

Even though they were a group from France he spoke in English, “Excuse me but you are the
class from François-Dupont in Paris correct?” Miss Bustier answered that the affirmative. “Perfect!
We are your guides today,” he motioned between himself and the dark-haired young man who was
standing a little bit behind him.

Miss Bustier giggled and batted her eyes before turning to address the class in French,
“Students! These two gentlemen are our guides for the tour!”

The unnamed gentleman gave a charming smile, “I’m Richard but I prefer to go by Dick.
This is Damian. Does everyone speak English?” Everyone nodded but a couple spoke up that they
weren’t fully fluent.

“Excellent! If you don’t understand something, please speak up or ask a friend. Everyone
please pair up!” There was a bit of shuffling amongst the group. Once they’d settled again, Dick
went around passing out visitors’ badges until he got to Marinette who was at the back of the group
by herself after Chloé paired up with Alix due to rooming together. “Miss, I will have Damian pair
up with you. We don’t want anyone wandering alone for safety reasons.”

Marinette nodded and watched Damian move toward where she stood at the back, ignoring
the snickers and jabs about having to be paired with one of the guides. Oh, if only they knew.
Damian reached her and winked, a smirk playing at the corner of his lip, out of sight from all but
her.

They didn’t say a word but when Dick lead the procession down a hall behind the welcome
desk, Damian held out his arm and she settled her hand into the crook of his elbow as if they were
a lord and lady of old so they could follow and be close to each other.

“Which one is she?” He asked in a low voice pitched to carry only as far as her ears.
Whispering was for amateurs since they carried shockingly far.

“The one with the ponytails for sideburns,” Marinette answered in the same low tone.
“How’d you wiggle your way into the tour?”

Damian smirked again and when he glanced at her, she saw his emerald green eyes
sparkling. “I didn’t. One of the hotel employees called the PR department and reported that a
young lady was bragging about being bonded to me. It was decided by my father and Tim that I
should join Dick to help gauge the situation. That’s why Dick didn’t use French earlier and I am
sticking with English right now. We want them to think we don’t speak French to see what is said.”

“You, mon cher, are definitely in for a show then.” She paused, “Still ready to start freaking
your brothers out?”

“More than ready, Sugar Buzz.”

Marinette grinned, “Well then, let the games begin! They’re not going to know what hit
them. And Sugar Buzz? Really?”

“You’re too damn full of energy and sweet enough to rot a tooth out.” Marinette couldn’t
help the giggle that burbled out of her. Dick looked over at them, not a little surprised that
Marinette’s hand was comfortably tucked into Damian’s elbow and he’d made her laugh.

At lunch time the class was taken to the food court on the third floor and told that their meal
was on the company’s dime. They just needed to show the visitor’s badge they’d been given when
they ordered from one of the counters. After getting their meals, the black-haired duo found a seat
in an out of the way corner where they could avoid Marinette’s classmates.

“What did you think of the tour?” Damian asked, sticking to ‘safe’ topics in case someone
came within earshot.

Knowing the game well, Marinette followed suit. “It was remarkably interesting. The
company has certainly done a significant amount for the city specifically and the world in general.
Have you been working here long?”

And cue the interruption in the shape of Dick. “Little D has been working here in some
fashion or another since his junior year of high school but since he graduated last spring he’s been
here full time, working around his college classes that is,” Dick set his tray down and plopped into
the seat next to Marinette. “He hasn’t been torturing you during the tour, has he?”
 Damian sighed and motioned toward Dick, “Marinette, this is my oldest brother Richard, or
Dick as he mentioned he prefers. Dick, this is Marinette. She’s the one who put together the
application and essay that won her class the slot in the program.”

Dick’s eyebrows went up, “That explains why your name seemed so familiar this morning.
Your class certainly is interesting.” Damian couldn’t help but snort. Interesting. What a way to put
it.

Marinette smiled, “The entire class has been working hard in the community back home.
They’ve pioneered for akuma attack shelters, campaigned for food banks and charities, and most of
them are creatively inclined in some way or another. Nino is an aspiring DJ and some of his mixes
are among my favorites. A few classmates are in a rock band that’s fairly well known around Paris.
Alya wants to be a reporter. Those are just a few examples I can give you.”

“That doesn’t sound like the class I had ignoring me during the tour,” the blue-eyed man
said with a slightly suspicious tone to his voice.

Marinette sighed and leaned back against her chair. Pinching the bridge of her nose she
answered his unspoken question, “The problem is Lila. Lila Rossi. She transferred into our
classroom from another school about four years ago. She quickly became the favorite of almost
everyone in the class with her stories of adventure and people she knows. Unfortunately, she’s a
chronic liar with no filter on who she hurts, and she’ll do whatever it takes to make those who call
her out look like the bad guy. Not everyone in the class seems to believe her but they know she’ll
target them like she did me so they say nothing most of the time. The one I know knows she’s a liar
is a wet rug, letting her walk all over him to keep his dad happy.”

“I’m guessing you’re speaking from experience as the so-called bad guy.”

“I called her out on a couple lies at the start and then she threatened me when she got back
after being gone for a while,” Marinette explained. “She claimed she’d take my friends away if I
didn’t tow her line. I basically told her she wouldn’t be able to do that, and she then proved me
mostly wrong.”

“Mostly?” Dick looked curious.

A soft smile turned the corners of her lips up, “There’s one person she’ll never be able to
turn away from me no matter how she tries. She’d first have to know to try and no one back home
knows. Yet. They will though.”

Dick left that and switched gears. Turning to Damian, “Lila Rossi? Isn’t she the one the
hotel staff called PR about?” Damian nodded. Looking at Marinette he asked, “Which one is she?”

Lips twitching, she answered, “The one with ponytails for sideburns. She kept talking to
what I’ve dubbed her ‘court’ and pulling attention away from you earlier.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Although that’s not all she is, I’m afraid,” Marinette grumbled. Seeing the expression
on Dick’s face she answered the unanswered question. “She’s a bully. Specifically, she likes to
bully me since I’ve never given in to her.” A devious smirk quirked her lip, “In fact, I’ve scared
the hell out of her and her lead lackey at least once in the past.”

Dick didn’t look happy and Marinette knew from experience that Damian was more than a
little pissed. She didn’t mention that though. Dick commented, “Why doesn’t your teacher do
anything about her?”

“Because then she’d have to actually do her fucking job,” Marinette couldn’t help the snarl.
Miss Bustier had once been her favorite teacher but that ship had long since sailed. “She enables
Lila and her ‘court’ by not doing anything. If nothing else, she helps them by claiming I should be
setting a good example for my classmates and help Lila to deal with her disabilities. Which I would
bet you anything she doesn’t have a single one.”

“Sounds like a shitty teacher on top of all that,” Dick commented lazily. “Why haven’t you
gone to the principal?”

“I have. I’ve filed numerous complaints, but they keep getting ignored or blocked or
something.”

Damian piped up, “So go over their heads to the school board.”

“I plan to. First though I want to guaren-fucking-tee that neither Lila nor Miss Bustier can get
out of what’s coming to them. A few others too. I plan to wait until closer to when I graduate so I
can walk away. I want, I need, the chance to tell those guys to ‘kiss my lovely toned ass’ and then
walk away with a strut and not look back,” Marinette’s eyes were hard and her tone cool as she
glared at her empty tray. Silence reigned at the table. Unseen by Dick, Damian had slid his foot
over to touch Marinette’s, an unspoken show of support and comfort.

Sensing a change of topic was required, Dick asked, “You mentioned akuma attack shelters.
What are those?”

“Shelters for citizens to take shelter in during an akuma attack.”

“What’s an akuma?” Dick was confused.

Marinette looked at him, a bit shocked. “You haven’t heard about the situation in Paris? It’s
been five years since it started up,” she glanced between the two men. Deep in Damian’s eyes she
could see humor, probably due to Dick’s perplexed expression. Dick looked quite confused though.
“A guy named Hawkmoth has been holding the city emotional hostages for the last five years. He
sends out these butterflies he conjures to find someone who is having a major negative emotion
breakdown. That butterfly merges with something they’re carrying and turns them into a magic
monster of some sort. The poor victims have no control of what they do and no memory of it after
Ladybug casts her Cure.”

“Wait, what?” Now Dick was really confused, and possibly a bit alarmed.

The black-haired designer nodded, “Yup. All true. And that’s only scratching the surface of
the shit going down in the City of Love. It’s been a shit show for the last five years.”

Dick looked deadly serious when he spoke, “Tell me. What’s going on?” Marinette raised an
eyebrow but with a glance at Damian’s calm expression she explained what was going on and who
was who. Damian of course knew all this and knew it was now over but that wasn’t common
knowledge yet, so Marinette had to make like it was still going to happen. It was a bit surprising
how serious about it Dick was, and she couldn’t help but wonder why. Especially with the way
Damian was eyeballing his brother’s reaction.

A bit later and after Marinette finished her explanation, they were waiting at the entrance to
the food court for the rest of Marinette’s class and the teachers. Once everyone was gathered, Dick
lead them all to a conference room where the students would be introduced to the people they
would be interning under for the next month while they were attending Gotham Academy as
exchange students. The students would attend school in the morning and then make their way back
to Wayne Enterprises, or one of the outlying locations, to partake in the internships they were there
for.

Knowing he wanted to be around the Rossi girl and her cohorts as little as possible, Dick
started with her group of friends before moving to the students who’d left Marinette alone or who
she’d cordially interacted with. He was saving Marinette for last for a few reasons. She’d been the
one to win the damn trip in the first place and he figured the less information about her internship
that the negative impacts in her life had, the better things would be.

Lila, Alya, Sabrina, and Adrien were going to be working with the public relations
department. That particular department was given some specific instructions on the sly to keep the
group split apart as much as they could as well as see if they could keep records of all the shit that
was said to verify the truth of it later. Max was on the way into the IT department, his genius with
creating Markov causing that department to practically salivate as a unit. Kim was assigned to that
department as well thanks to the things he’d picked up from his male soulmate. Rose, Juleka, Nino,
Ivan, and Mylene were all going to be working with the department that was responsible for the
musical label that WE owned. Even Mylene who only wrote music instead of playing it was
excited to find out what was behind music production. Nathaniel and Alix were going to be
working in the marketing department, learning how their artwork can be used in business ventures.
Marinette and Chloé were both working with the business department; both were intending on
running their own businesses. (Marinette already was running her own business but only a very
select few knew that.)

Once everyone else was away with the people that would oversee their internships, Dick
turned to the two teachers. “If you would like, we can arrange for something to keep you busy.”

“No thank you,” Miss Bustier stood. “I was planning on using the time the students are busy
here to grade assignments and work on upcoming lesson plans as well as make sure the things they
learn here are converted into grades for classes back home.” Mr. Marchand nodded vigorously in
agreement. “A ride back to the hotel would be appreciated though. I left all of my papers there; I
wasn’t expecting to have time to get things done today but the tour was shorter than I thought.”

Dick easily agreed and soon the two teachers were being escorted out by one of the company
drivers. Once sure there was no one in earshot outside the open door, he flopped into a chair and let
his head fall back with a sigh. “Are they always like that?” He asked Marinette.

She shrugged, “Pretty much. There are a couple that I’m cordial with but by far most of them
are just idiotic.”

Chloé blinked, “Wait. What?” Marinette took the time to explain that Dick had asked about
the situation Paris had been going through for the last five years and what she’d personally been
dealing with for the last four. The blonde snorted, “Well that about covers it then doesn’t it. Can’t
say I’m not ashamed of how I have acted in the past because I am but at least I didn’t pull the shit
Rossi has been. Césaire as well.”

“To be honest Chloé, you’re my favorite person in our class, bar none. Just don’t tell Lila’s
court that. They’d try to take you out and I want them living when I finally get to take them out in a
fashion that’ll hurt the most.” The expression on Marinette’s face was vaguely familiar to Dick but
he couldn’t place why.

He was distracted from trying to figure it out when Damian turned to Marinette and said,
“Well fair maiden, shall we go introduce you to who you two will be working with?” And he did it
while holding his elbow out for Marinette to slip her hand into.

“Indeed, good sir we shall.” With that the two sauntered out the door. Chloé followed easily
but it took a minute for Dick to reboot his brain and scramble out the door to find them waiting for
him by the elevators.

While they waited for the elevator, he fired a text off to Tim and Jason. ~I think Damian had
a personality transplant.~ Before either of them respond the elevator arrived and they got in.
Ignoring his now chiming phone, Dick explained where he and Damian were taking the two young
ladies.

“You two will be working with the co-CEOs of Wayne Enterprises. You’ve both declared an
intention to run a large business or corporation in the future and who better to learn from than the
top dogs of the company?”

The Tower was a legitimate skyscraper, but the elevator was by no means a slow one, so it
didn’t take long before the doors were opening to the top floor. In front of them was a small
entrance area with a single door with a small reception desk manned by two highly capable
receptionists in front of it. Confidently Dick lead the way with a cheerful “Morning Isla, Morning
Clint!” A quick knock on the door and they were in a huge office that had three distinct areas to it.

The left and right were both office spaces, each a bit different than the other but still
cohesive to the overall feel of the room. The center area right in front of the door had a setup of
couches and chairs around a large coffee table. Along the wall right next to the door was a
beverage station. Waiting in the sitting area were two men each with black hair and blue eyes.
When they stood it was easy to see the older of them was taller by a few inches.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng. Miss Bourgeois. It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Bruce Wayne, this is
my son and co-CEO Timothy Drake-Wayne,” the taller man introduced himself and the shorter
man with him who promptly instructed them to call him Tim. “You’ve already met my oldest and
my youngest.” Here he motioned toward Dick and Damian, respectively.

Chloé spluttered, “Wait. You mean to tell me we’ve been led around by two of your sons and
we didn’t know it?”

Marinette couldn’t help herself. “I knew,” she sassed.

“Well bully for you!” The blonde rolled her eyes. Turning back to their host, “Mr. Wayne—"

“Bruce please.”

Chloé paused briefly before nodding. “Bruce, why exactly was it decided that DC and I
would work with you two directly? And why were these two hiding their identity?”

“Please sit.” He motioned to them. Once the girls were seated, the gentlemen followed.
“Originally yes you were supposed to work with some of the administration department employees
but when I heard what was happening at the hotel this morning, I decided to change things up. It
was me who decided that Dick and Damian would lead the tour. They’re fluent in French and I
wanted to have a direct line into what Miss Rossi is claiming about my family. If she would have
known who they were she would have censored her words and her friends’ as well.

“These two kept me updated on what she was saying as well as the dynamic amongst your
class. I decided to allow Miss Dupain-Cheng an opportunity that will hopefully alleviate some of
the treatment she has been receiving while in Gotham as my guest. Damian especially indicated
that you are the one who Miss Dupain-Cheng is most comfortable in your class, so I have little to
no trouble with extending this to you as well. Besides, you’re both interested in business and I
cannot find it in me to stymie your efforts to further your knowledge and experience in this area.”

Both girls blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that answer. Chloé turned to Marinette,
“DC, you are uncannily lucky at times you know, that right?” There was a beat of silence before
the entire group burst into laughter. After they’d all calmed down, Chloé spoke again. “Right, so
what are we going to be doing?”

The five of them spent the next hour or so going over what the two businessmen had in mind
to teach the two young ladies. It was clear during that time that both were incredibly smart,
Marinette especially. Bruce thought she was probably upwards in the genius intellect range
although Chloé was no slouch by any means.

“Have either of you got experience with business management or administration before
coming here?” Bruce asked after they’d wound down their explanation of what to expect.

“Not on my own. I’ve lived in daddy’s hotel for years and I’ve watched what was going on
but until the last couple years I was a complete brat and didn’t really care. My mother has been
living here in the States with her own business ventures,” Chloé explained.

“Who’s your mother?”

Chloé cringed, “Audrey Bourgeois, director of Style Queen magazine.” There were hidden
cringes that the two girls diplomatically ignored. It was no secret Audrey Bourgeois was not the
nicest person to have to deal with.

Bruce turned to Marinette. She blushed, “I’ve been helping my parents with running the
bakery for years and I’ve got a small business of my own that I’ve had for a few years. I had to
rebrand due to some slander a couple years ago, but I have kept it going and it has been
successful.”

“What do you do?” Tim asked, curiously alert despite not having any coffee in the last
couple hours.

Damian rolled his eyes, knowing Marinette didn’t want that known just yet. “Does it really
matter what she does? The principles are the same.” Misdirection for the win! An alarm chimed
and brought any further discussion to a halt.

“Well that’s the end of the day. Shall we get you ladies down to the bus?” That’s one way to
end up with a wall of taller-than-you men surrounding you. Marinette couldn’t help sassing within
the sanctity of her mind.

As they rode the elevator to the ground floor, the black-haired young lady asked a question
that was, to her, critically important. “What is the dress code by the way? Somehow I have a
feeling jean skirts and graphic tees are not quite the right aesthetic.”

Tim laughed, “We usually go with business or smart casual or something similar but feel free
to jazz it up a bit. I usually wear suits myself.”

“Oh, I plan to,” Marinette couldn’t help smirking. The elevator dinged before anyone could
comment further and they stepped out into the lobby. The class had already gathered by the door so
the group of five kept their good-byes short with quick handshakes.

At least, that was the intention.

 When Chloé and Tim shook hands, they both froze, and an aura of swirling honey yellow
and bright red erupted around them. It didn’t last long but once it faded, it left those who saw the
display in mild shock. They’d just witnessed a soul mated pair activate their bond. It wasn’t
uncommon but it also wasn’t something a person saw every day.

Bruce broke the silence by clearing his throat. “Well this changes a few things.” Damian and
Marinette both had to bite back laughter at the way the newly bonded pair jumped as they were
jarred out of their private little world. Bruce made his way over to Miss Bustier while Marinette
and Damian moved to the side and turned away to give Chloé and Tim a bit more privacy while
keeping an eye on the situation.

“Excuse me Madam Bustier, may I have a moment of your time please?” he spoke in
flawless French. The teacher nodded and they stepped away from the students, voices pitched to
avoid being overheard. In short order the pair approached the still shell-shocked pair and the two
keeping a discreet eye on them.

“Miss Bourgeois, may I be so bold as to invite you to my home so you and Tim can get to
know one another better? Miss Dupain-Cheng is also invited so you’re not alone.” Chloé turned to
Miss Bustier who promptly nodded in agreement, saying that Mr. Wayne knew when the two
needed to be back at the hotel for the evening.

“I would like that very much Mr. Wayne,” Chloé almost whispered as she turned her ocean
blue eyes back to meet Tim’s darker blue. Marinette swiftly affirmed that she was also in
agreement with the idea.

Once the class left, Marinette approached Chloé. “Come on Chloé, lets step into the restroom
for a minute.” Looking confused, and a bit grumpy about having to leave Tim so soon, she
followed. Spotting her reflection, she was shocked to find that she’d been silently crying.

“I look ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” she huffed out a giggle. “So much for waterproof
mascara! Did anyone in class see my face?”

“No, the angle was wrong. They could see Tim though. I don’t have any makeup on me, but
I always carry some heavy-duty makeup wipes. Here, let’s get you gorgeous for your other half.”
Chloé huffed out another giggle, matching the one Marinette let out. She didn’t have any makeup
with her to reapply anything more than lipstick, but Chloé found she didn’t really want to anyway.
When she stepped out of the bathroom with a clean face, Tim didn’t seem to care anyway.

“You were crying. Are you alright?” he asked her quietly, aware of people watching from
the other side of the lobby. She nodded and whispered that she would explain later if they could
get out of the lobby as soon as possible.

*****

“Justice League World Headquarters,” the brusque male voice matched the bored
expression on the man’s face as he opened the video call ringing in.

“Bonjour Green Lantern, I’m Ladybug,” the girl in the video wore a black domino mask and
had pigtails. Lantern wondered what he’d done to land having to deal with this cosplayer calling
again.

“You’re still trying to get us to come to Paris? There’s nothing going on; everything is fine
according to all surveillance,” he growled. “Stop calling. The Justice League doesn’t deal with
cosplayers!”
 He disconnected the call without signing off and stomped off to refill his coffee mug.

*****

Tuesday morning dawned bright but overcast, because of course it was cloudy. It was
Gotham City after all. Marinette and Chloé had returned after a lovely evening that had been filled
with good company, a wonderful meal, and an amusing time watching Chloé and Tim learn about
each other.

Today though, the class was going to Gotham Academy for the first time. Tikki’s Chosen
was almost vibrating with nerves but she was determined to not let it show. For the morning’s
classes she wore the school’s required uniform, but she carried the clothes she was going to change
into before going to Wayne Tower in a second bag. Instead of the supplied loafers, she slipped her
feet into a pair of closed toe pumps with a stiletto heel. The heels combined with the just above
knee length uniform skirt looked amazing if she said so herself. Quickly pinning her braided hair
up off her neck, she grabbed her things and went to meet Chloé in the lobby since the blonde didn’t
know where Marinette’s room was.

As she exited the elevator a wolf whistle could be heard. Before she could identify who it
was, a voice answered her unspoken question. “Damn DC! You’re trying to stop hearts today aren’t
you?”

“Chloé!” Marinette laughed. It looked like Chloé had also decided on carrying a change of
clothes for the afternoon if the second bag she carried was a clue. “No heels today?”

“Didn’t know if they were allowed at the school. I have some in my bag.” Marinette nodded
as the two followed their class to the bus.

As they walked down the aisle, a foot stuck out into the path. Without missing a beat
Marinette almost absentmindedly skipped over the foot without so much as a wobble of her ankle.
More than one person stared wide eyed in shock. The class’s most clumsy person was wearing
heels and not faceplanting, even when tripped. What the hell was going on?

Stifling a laugh at the dumbfounded expressions on Lila’s, Alya’s, and a couple other faces
Marinette settled herself in a seat at the back. Chloé joined her.

“How’d you avoid faceplanting over that trip?” she whispered.

“I’ve been wearing heels regularly for years and honestly I’m not as clumsy as everyone
thinks I am anymore.”

Nodding, a little ashamed that she hadn’t noticed it previously, Chloé switched topics. “Are
heels really allowed?”

“According to the rulebook we were given. They just can’t be taller than three inches and
you’re still required to wear the uniform,” Marinette said quietly. Without a word, Chloé changed
her shoes, the bright yellow making the thin yellow threads of color in her uniform pop. “Nice!”
Marinette exclaimed.

The bus arrived and the morning was a rush of learning their schedules, the layout of the
school, and then the actual classes. Marinette only had Chloé in her intro to business class and none
of her Parisian classmates in any of the others. She’d chosen mostly textile-based art classes. If
she’d chosen any drawing classes, she would have put money on Nathaniel being in at least one
class with her.
 After business intro with Chloé, Marinette was done for the day at the school. They had half
an hour to grab a quick lunch before boarding the bus to Wayne Tower. Before changing the two
girls grabbed drinks since they didn’t need lunch. Bruce and Tim wanted them to sit in on a
business lunch once they got to Wayne Tower.

A quick change in the girls' locker room saw each in classy business wear that still popped.
Chloé was wearing a breezy yellow blouse tucked into the high waist of a black, knee length pencil
skirt. Her shoes and shirt were the exact same color and the effect made the outfit sing. Marinette
went with a tailored pair of slacks in black, a fitted white blouse, and a tailored deep red vest with a
low-cut front to allow more of the blouse to show.

“Damn we look good!” Chloé laughed.

“Yes, yes we do. Come on, let’s go before Lila convinces Bustier to leave early. I want to see
Tim’s reaction to your outfit.” Marinette got a shock when her companion blushed delicately. Not
commenting the shorter of the two led the way out to the front of the school.

Where the bus should have been but wasn’t.

A look around and Marinette spotted it driving away from the school with their classmates
inside it.

“Fucking jinxed myself damn it,” she muttered.

“Did they just fucking leave without us?” Chloé wasn’t happy. “Daddy is going to blow a
gasket when I tell him. It can wait until later though. Am I correct in assuming you’re adding this to
your bag of ammo to take a few people who shall remain nameless down?”

“Yup and yup. I was expecting it to happen to me at some point this month, but I honestly
didn’t expect it until tomorrow at the earliest. Nor did I think they’d leave you behind at all
considering who your father is,” Marinette sighed. She felt her phone buzz in her purse.

Both girls were unaware of a pair of watchers just down from where the bus should have
been. Knowing how Marinette’s class was, Damian had asked Tim if he wanted to go by Gotham
Academy to see if Chloé wanted to go out for a bite to eat. It turned out to be a good thing he did
because as they pulled up to the curb, they watched the class board the bus before it left. Without
two specific young ladies.

The two Wayne family members got out of the car but before they could head into the
school to look for them, the girls in question exited the building. Damian could tell the instant
Marinette figured out what had happened. She wasn’t happy but he could also tell she wasn’t
terribly mad since she’d expected it. Chloé was pissed though if the glare she threw after the bus
was any indication. Next to him, Tim had spotted Chloé. He’d choked a little and Damian would
bet anything that if he looked, he’d spot stars in his older brother’s eyes.

Chloé’s outfit was extremely flattering and paired well with her light blue eyes, honey
blonde hair, and fair complexion. Damian thought she looked lovely, but he thought Marinette
looked beautiful on a normal day. When she put effort into dressing up, she was exquisite. Her
black, white and red outfit showed her figure off perfectly, showcasing her fit figure without
overdoing it although those heels made her legs look endless. Fuck me! Damian couldn’t help
thinking before he shook himself and pulled out his phone. A quick message and he was watching
his pint-sized soulmate pull out her phone.

A glance around and Marinette’s eyes landed on them. “Chloé,” she pointed to them and the
blonde had a reaction like Tim’s. Her breath hitched in her throat and she stared. Marinette could
agree that Tim was, without question, a good-looking guy. Black hair, dark blue eyes and a fit body
that showed he was no couch potato. He was a few inches taller than Chloé so her heels let her look
him square in the eye as the girls walked up to them.

Marinette personally thought her own soulmate was better looking than his brother.
Damian’s piercing emerald green eyes and black hair, usually slicked back when he was going to
be out in public, were perfectly matched by his darker skin tone, a hallmark of his Arabian
heritage. Add in a very fit and muscular body and Marinette thought it was a sexy as hell
combination.

“Well, I lost my bet with myself,” Marinette sighed as they reached the two Waynes. Tim
looked confused. “I made a bet with myself one when I would get left behind by my class and
teachers on this trip. I was a little off.”

Tim jerked, “When? Shouldn’t that be if?” He didn’t notice Damian’s jaw clenched in anger.

“Nope. I’ll explain in the car if you’ll give us a ride,” Marinette sighed.

*****

Evening rolled around; Tim dropped the two girls off at their hotel. Miss Bustier wasn’t
paying any attention to whether they were with her or not apparently so they figured they’d go with
the more comfortable option. Not that it mattered; the bus had left without them again.

After eating a quick supper Marinette asked Chloé if she would go with her to the fabric
store. She needed to get some fabric to start on her Gala dress. The blonde agreed and after the two
changed their skirts for jeans, they left for the fabric store that was only a few blocks away. It took
a bit of time but Marinette was eventually able to find fabric she thought would be perfect for her
dress.

By the time they left the store, it was full dark out. Aware of the possible dangers, the two
walked with purpose back toward the hotel while keeping an eye out for trouble. Unfortunately,
Marinette spotted some before they were even halfway back to the hotel.

“We have a tail,” she spoke in a quiet voice. “Two behind us and a friend ahead of us. How
are your martial arts skills? You still keeping them up?”

Chloé looked a bit surprised, “Yes. What do you have in mind?”

Bluebell eyes darted around, tracking their tails in windows as well as scouting out ahead of
them. “We can’t take them in the open. Too many people to get into it. How about we duck into
that alley? Just inside it should be a good spot. That way we don’t have to pass the third guy and
he’ll have to come at us from the same direction as his buddies.” Chloé nodded in agreement.

When they reached the alley the two ducked into it and they could hear their tails cuss. Soon
three set of footsteps followed them into the dark. Marinette had tied her bags closed to protect the
fabric within and she held the bag down to her side, ready to use it as a weapon if needed. The two
moved a bit apart so they couldn’t be crowded together and had room to fight.

The lead thug smacked his lips at them, “C’mere girlies. We just wanna take you for a good
time before introducing you to some friends. They can help you get rich real quick like if you’re
nice to them.”

Chloé curled her lip in disgust. “I wouldn’t touch any of you with a ten-foot pole. You’re
nasty. Go jump in a vat of bleach or something and leave us alone.”

“Bitch,” one of them snarled before all three charged the girls. Marinette whipped her bag
right at the face of the thug who moved to her. It smacked him in the face and while he was
floundering with it, she stepped forward and kicked his groin as hard as she could. The resulting
noise he made was somewhere between a squeal and a scream. After he fell to the ground
Marinette swiftly reached down, grabbed his hair, and bashed his face into the wall he was beside,
knocking him out quite effectively.

Chloé ducked the swinging grab of the first thug who moved toward her and grabbed his
arm, using his momentum to swing him into the wall. A bit dazed he slumped down as she turned
to the third thug who was also coming at her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Marinette
moving toward her, her opponent already handled. The black-haired girl yelled and the thug in
front of Chloé turned to her. Chloé took advantage of that and kicked him in the groin followed by
pushing him sideways using his shoulder. He fell over and knocked himself out when he hit wall
headfirst.

Marinette saw the first thug Chloé had faced get back to his feet, a snarl on his face and a
knife in his hand. Moving full tilt, she called, “Hands!” Without thinking Chloé held out her hands
and when Marinette grabbed them, she spun with the other girl’s momentum. Marinette,
meanwhile, jumped as soon as their hands connected and kicked both feet up. She nailed the thug
in the chest at full speed and he crashed hard into the bricks behind him, unconscious before her
feet hit the ground.

Chloé’s eyes were wide. There was only one person who she had ever seen do that move and
knew that Chloé knew the move. Her lips were mouthing the word silently when Marinette looked
at her. Bluebell eyes widened before a smile crooked up the corners of her mouth. Giving the
blonde a quick hug to re-center her she spoke, “Come on. We can talk about this back at the hotel.
This isn’t the place for this.”

Gathering up the dropped bag of fabric the two girls were interrupted on their way out of the
alley by a figure landing in the alley behind them. Spinning around they were faced with Batman in
all his glory. “Ladies. Are you alright?” his gruff voice was soft.

Marinette blinked before easing out of the fighting stance she’d landed in, “We’re fine but
the three men who tried some shit aren’t.” Chloé jerked her eyes toward Marinette at her language
but said nothing. What could she say when she honestly agreed with it?

“Gotham isn’t the safest to be out in after dark,” another voice spoke up as he moved into
view from behind the cloaked man. It was Nightwing.

“Yeah no shit! We know but life doesn’t stop just because you might be afraid of
boogeymen.” Chloé had found her snark.

Nightwing grinned, “I like you! But if you ladies are alright, you should get back home.”

“Our hotel is about three blocks from here.”

“Tourists?”

Marinette shrugged, “Sort of.”

Batman spoke up, “Nightwing, I’ll stay here until the police get here. Why don’t you
shadow these two back to their hotel? I think one encounter tonight is more than enough.”
 Nightwing nodded. “If you ladies will allow me, I’ll tail you from the rooftops.” They
shrugged and once the younger (at least he seemed younger) masked vigilante was up on the
building beside them, they nodded goodbye to the cloaked one who was still there.

In little time the two were at the front door to their hotel. Marinette looked up to the low
rooftop across the street and spotted their tail. With a subtle head tilt, she acknowledged his jaunty
wave before she and Chloé entered the building.

Once they were in Marinette’s room, they settled on the couch. Chloé seemed to be lost in
thought and eventually Marinette couldn’t take the quiet anymore.

“Chloé? Say something please? Yell at me, scream, hit me. Just something please?” she was
surprised how anxious she was to know what Chloé’s reaction was. When had she come to care for
the blonde as a friend?

Ocean blue met bluebell. “You’re Ladybug.”

“How’d you figure it out?”

“That last move, the one where you grabbed my hands. The only person who knows I know
that move is Ladybug. I’ve never used it with anyone else. I don’t even know if anyone else would
know it,” Chloé’s voice was quiet.

Marinette smiled, “Yes I’m Ladybug.” At this affirmation Chloé let out a whoosh of air and
slumped back against the back of the couch. Tikki came out of Marinette’s purse and settled onto
her head.

“This is nuts. Have you always been Ladybug?” Marinette nodded. “Why did you take
Pollen away?”

“That wasn’t my call,” Marinette sighed. “The Guardian at the time refused to let any
Miraculouses other than the Ladybug and Cat be active full time.” She bit her lip, “I’m sorry about
that Chloé. Despite us not getting along well at the time I knew you were a good hero. It wasn’t my
choice to remove that.”

The blonde laughed, “I can’t believe it.” Her eyes watering slightly, she wrapped Marinette
in a hug. “I’m so sorry I was such a bitch and caused so many akumas.” She cried for a bit, feeling
safe doing so with Marinette. Finally, she calmed down, “Do you know how Pollen is doing? Is
she safe and happy?”

With a ‘wait a minute’ motion she stepped into the bedroom and pulled the Miraculous Box
out of its hiding spot. Quickly she opened it and pulled out the box holding the Bee hair comb
before closing the Box and hiding it again. A brief moment of concentration was all it took to pool
some of her creative energy into her hand, imagining the comb changing shape while Pollen (who
had appeared when she opened the box) remained silent. In less than a minute she was holding a
lovely yellow gold bracelet with tiny bee shaped beads alternating with beehive shaped ones. A
sigh whispered out as she returned the Miraculous to its box and closed it. She hadn’t been sure
she’d be able to do that. The Book of the Miraculous had said how to do it but it also said not all
Guardians could do it.

Returning to the couch she looked Chloé square in the eyes. “Chloé Bourgeois, here is the
Miraculous of the Bee, which grants the power of Subjection. You will use it for the greater good
and to help mankind. You will keep your identity a closely guarded secret. Can I trust you with
this?” she held up the box which held the bracelet.
 Chloé sucked in a breath in shock. Marinette’s expression was calm and assured, her eyes full
of confidence. “Why me?” she asked. “Why after all this time are you doing this?”

“Because you’ve proven you’ve changed for the better and I am certain you have what it
takes to carry a Miraculous honorably.”

“I accept and you can absolutely trust me. I’m honored.” Chloé took the box and with
shaking fingers opened it. Pollen appeared in a bright flash and greeted her. “How did it change? It
was a comb before,” the blonde asked.

“I’m the Guardian. One of the abilities some Guardians have is to change the appearance of
the Miraculous they watch over. It helps keep them hidden if they change form from time to time.
Since I’m one of Tikki’s souls, I can do it.”

“One of Tikki’s souls?”

Marinette laughed, “I’m a true Ladybug. And I suspect you’re a true Bee if that flash of light
when Pollen appeared is any indication. I opened that box in the bedroom to change the
Miraculous and there was no flash.”

“She is indeed one of my true Chosen, Grand Guardian,” Pollen pipped up from where she
had settled on Chloé’s shoulder. The little bee kwami looked quite comfortable leaning against
Chloé’s neck.

“You do realize don’t you, that this means you’re stuck with me as a best friend right?”
Chloé tossed some mild snark at Marinette.

“Only if you realize you’re stuck with me,” she snarked right back, grin firmly in place.

Chapter End Notes

Language Translations: (Thank you high school french classes!)

mon cher: my dear (French)
Bonjour: Hello (French) (Technically it translates at good day but it is used as an
English speaker uses hello/hi)

Okay, this story is completely written. I have another started Daminette fic (the plot
bunny for it climbed into my lap while i was finishing this one). I would like to add to
the list of nicknames/terms of endearment I built when writing this one so I can add
them in the one I'm working on. Specifically in languages that don't share the English
alphabet as the base. (Think Romaji vs Kanji/Hiragana/Katakana for Japanese...of
which I do know some) If you know some and want so share, please do. The sources I
can find for the languages I'm specifically interested in (Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin)
quite frankly suck and are inconsistent.

Gomez and Morticia....yeeeesssss I love those two. Remember the Gala Marinette was
designing a dress for in chapter 1? Yeah, I almost did it. You'll see why I didn't when
that comes around but it was a serious debate for me.

If you're seeing last chapter's end note below this...I have no idea why. I didn't put it
there.
 Chapter 3
Chapter Summary

In which: Marinette and Damian let a couple more secrets slip. Lila pulls a 'stupid'
twice over. Chloe and Tim are sweet. Marinette and Damian are adorable. Chloe and
Marinette kick some bad guy ass. Damian and Tim have minor freakouts. Batman is
Unhappy.

Chapter Notes

INCOMING!!! *whistling noise before a thud* And it's here. And it has TROPES!
And sass. And Marinette displaying a badass side that is often well hidden. And then
some because I went off the wagon while writing this part. YAY!

To those who have commented...THANK YOU! You guys make me feel appreciated!

Remember the dancing I mentioned before? It surfaces for the first time here. Sorry,
but I'm totally not sorry.

There is DEFINITELY violence in this chapter. It pops up in two spots (and change)
with the last one being the big one. Please keep in mind that I do have martial arts
training so I tend to use actually possible techniques and moves in my writing. (My
husband helps me work out the technical parts if I can't figure out how I want
something to flow...he has more training than I do.)

Language translations at the end!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Marinette was getting her things from her locker; extremely glad the week was over and
more than ready to get the hell away from her classmates. Over the last month or so, all of her
friends had pulled away from her. She’d had hope that things would flip back around but the final
straw had come at lunch today. Alya had lost her temper over something Lila had told her and had
yelled Marinette’s name as she stormed into the classroom where the designer had been enjoying
some quiet time. Behind her came the entire class except Chloé and Adrien, Lila at the front with a
smug expression on her face.

Marinette had stood up when the door banged open, not wanting to be trapped sitting. The
blogger stomped up the stairs like a child tossing a tantrum and sent to their room before she
whipped her hand out and her palm connected with Marinette’s cheek. To the surprise of everyone
present, Marinette’s head snapped to the side but she made no other movement. The class was
clearly expecting the petite girl to be knocked over.

Slowly turning back to Alya, Marinette’s face was a perfectly composed mask even with the
red mark highlighting just how hard Alya had hit her. Her eyes told a different story. The normal
bluebell color had darkened to almost navy blue and held no warmth. Upon meeting her eyes, Alya
found whatever she’d been about to spout off died in her throat and she unconsciously took a step
back.

Without a word Marinette picked up her bag and sketch book and stepped toward her former
best friend. Alya backed up again, somehow not falling down the steps of the risers the desks were
on. The designer kept moving until Alya backed into Lila and the rest of the students in the room,
keeping eye contact with Alya the entire time.

Cold eyes shifted to lock onto Lila’s olive-green eyes and held them captive. The Italian girl
felt her entire body break into a cold sweat as Alya shook next to her. Those eyes held no mercy
and Lila had never in her life felt that she had opened a Pandora’s Box as dangerous as the one
Marinette represented. As she lost the fight to not shake, Lila vowed to herself that she would do
anything she could to keep those eyes from looking at her like that again.

Marinette saw this in Lila’s eyes, just as she’d seen the same fear in Alya’s hazel eyes. A
dangerous smirk quirked up the corner of Marinette’s lip before she let Lila free. As she stepped to
go around Lila and Alya and leave the room, the rest of the class scurried back against the
blackboard to avoid drawing Marinette’s attention. She’d scared the hell out of them all even
though she had only looked at two of them. And she’d done it without saying a word.

Damian was going to be so proud when she told him.

*****

Later that night, the cave hidden under Wayne Manor held Batman, Nightwing, Red Robin,
Red Hood, Robin, and Oracle. They were watching a video that had been recorded by the camera
in Nightwing’s suit.

“Aw shit, that’s Tim’s girl,” Nightwing muttered to Batman as they spotted a pair of girls
across the street and a block up from where they stood on a rooftop stepping into an alley,
followed by three men Nightwing was sure were human traffickers.

The two vigilantes ran, jumped, and swung using grappling hooks to get to the alley where
their family member’s other half was. Reaching the top of the building the alley ran beside they
prepared to leap to help the two girls when they were brought up short. To their surprise two of the
three thugs were down and out and they watched the third get absolutely railed by a move they’d
never seen before.

“I must say Timmy, your girl is a bad ass. Her friend too despite being so tiny,” Red Hood
snickered. “How’d they drop the first two?” He had been the only one of the brothers to not meet
them when they’d come for supper since he hadn’t been home.

Oracle pulled up another video, this one from one of the city’s surveillance cameras across
from the alley in question. They watched quietly as the two girls walked into the alley and turned
back to the street. They watched the three thugs, from two different directions, enter the alley.
There was no sound but something obviously pissed off the men looking to nab the girls because
they all charged. Red Hood let out a bark of laughter when one got hit in the face with a full bag.
All but Oracle cringed and hissed in sympathy (as much as one can sympathize with scum that is)
when two of them got kicked in the groin. Robin allowed a smirk to appear as he watched his
soulmate use the wall to great effect to knock out the one who had targeted her first.

“Yup, certified badasses,” Hood nodded.

Nightwing snickered, “In more ways than one. The black-haired one, Marinette, was
perfectly comfortable talking with Damian while we were at Wayne Tower. She was even walking
with her hand in his elbow.”

“Oh?” Hood turned to Robin. “Something you’d like to share with the rest of us Demon
Spawn?”

Robin raised an eyebrow, “You do realize Father had us there for a reason right? What better
way to overhear that little harpy than to be among her cohorts?” Never mind the fact that I just
enjoy spending time with my own soulmate. They don’t need to know that yet though he thought to
himself.

“Are you sure that’s all it was?” Hood teased.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Robin sighed. “There is nothing on this planet that can
entice me into a relationship with anyone other than my soulmate, including any pushing from you
lunkheads; and I’m not the one who sealed a bond today. That’s Red. Go pester him.” Robin
turned away, “I’m going to bed.” After that statement they’re going to skin me when Marinette and
I reveal our bond but damn this is fun.

“How is it he never reacts when we tease him about girls?” Hood almost whined to
Nightwing and Red Robin.

“Think he may be gay?” Red mused.

“Nope,” all three of them jumped, not having heard him come back from the changing
rooms. “I’m straight although I don’t have anything against those who aren’t straight,” Damian
said as he kept walking to the door to the manor. The others blinked before separating to change
and return to the manor proper.

*****

The rest of the week passed swiftly for Marinette. She and Chloé would go to school in the
morning, get picked up, usually by Alfred whom both girls adored instantly, and then spend the
afternoon learning the finesse of business operations from Bruce and Tim. They almost never saw
their Parisian classmates outside of the few classes that they shared or in the mornings on the way
to school.

During the week, the two cemented their new friendship into that of best friends. If someone
watching them didn’t know better, they’d think the two had been friends since they were in
diapers. Marinette also agreed to make Chloé a dress for the Gala as long as the blonde didn’t mind
it being simple since she didn’t have a sewing machine handy for larger amounts of more complex
work.

On Friday afternoon Tim was a bit jumpy and it was driving Bruce and Marinette crazy. He
couldn’t seem to keep his mind on the work, which for him was very unusual. Finally, they found
out what was getting him riled up.

“Chloé? Would you be interested in going out for a date with me this evening after supper?”

The grin she gave him was a clear indication she was interested even before she spoke, “I
would love to! But I have to have at least one other person with me for safety. It’s kind of the rules
that were set in order for us to even come here.”

Tim turned to Marinette, “What do you think Mari? You interested?”

 “Sure, but I don’t want to be a third wheel.”

He nodded and pulled out his phone to send off a text. In a couple minutes he got a reply.
“Damian says he’ll go with if that’s okay with you?”

Marinette nodded, “Works for me. He’s easy to talk to.” Both Bruce and Tim looked a little
surprised. Damian? Easy to talk to? Seeing their faces, she asked, “What?”

“Er. Nothing is wrong per say. It’s just that in the family Damian is one of the least
talkative,” Bruce said diplomatically.

Tim clapped and redirected the conversation around the hot potato topic. “Great! Damian
mentioned that some of his classmates were talking about a club for those eighteen and up. I think
it’s a dance club. Is that okay with you?” Chloé nodded and leaned against his side as they sat on
the couch going over some of the contracts the company used when needed. Marinette indicated
she agreed before turning back to Bruce and his own pile of contracts.

A secret smile worked its way onto her lips. It was going to be a fun evening.

Once they were back at the hotel, Chloé took care of telling (not asking) Miss Bustier and
Mr. Marchand that she was going out with her soulmate and she was bringing Marinette along for
safety and as a chaperone. They didn’t get a chance to argue.

Marinette point blank told Chloé she wasn’t chaperoning shit and it was her own
responsibility to not end up pregnant. She’d never seen Chloé blush so hard in the entire time
they’d known each other. Tikki and Pollen thought it was hilarious if a little crude. Marinette’s
response was to stick her tongue out at them.

Soon they were busy getting ready to make a pair of guys swallow their tongues. Of course,
Marinette hadn’t told anyone that’s what her goal was but that was beside the point. The two got
ready in Marinette’s room, Chloé having grabbed the outfit she wanted from her room before
meeting Marinette in her room. While they got ready they nibbled on some snacks, making sure
they had enough fuel to get through a night out.

Chloé chose to wear a pair of black skinny jeans that looked like she’d been poured into
them with a billowy lemon-yellow tank top made of chiffon over satin that hit right at the hip. Her
feet were encased in a silver pair of peep-toe heels. Her hair was down in a cloud around her
shoulders and her makeup made her blue eyes pop.

Marinette had settled on a one-piece, low backed halter top dress with a skirt that moved
beautifully; it was a three-quarter circle skirt that hit a couple inches above the knee. Under the
skirt she wore a snug pair of short nylon shorts, thus protecting her modesty when she twirled. Her
shoes were black, open toed dance heels that she’d had for years so they were well broken in.
Unlike Chloé she wore her hair up in an elegant twist but decided against makeup other than a
long-wearing lipstick.

“We’re hot.” Chloé declared as they checked the mirror one last time before grabbing their
jackets, complete with phones, room keys, kwami, and kwami treats stuffed in various pockets.
Giggling with suppressed excitement they made their way to the elevator. When they got off in the
lobby they were met with dropped jaws from some of their classmates.

“Where the hell are you going?” Alya almost burned with envy. They looked amazing and
made it look effortless. Other than a lipstick that matched her dress, Marinette wasn’t even wearing
makeup.
 Beside her, Lila was feeling the same. “Does Miss Bustier know you’re going out?” her
honeyed voice held a hint of poison. Too bad for her Chloé was a true Bee. She knew how to wield
honey.

“Of course she does Lila!” the blonde beamed at her. “After all, she knows I need to get to
know my soulmate since we’ve just met; Daddy insisted I be allowed as much time with him as I
wanted. So, in order to follow the rules that were set I’m bringing Marinette with me so I’m not
alone.”

Lila blinked then grinned. Marinette was going as a third wheel. How perfect. “Well you
enjoy your evening with your soulmate. Marinette, try to not get in the way too much.”

Alya snickered, “Be careful that you don’t trip in those heels and spill something over yourself
Marinette. Even if you’re wearing it the dress is nice.”

Barely giving that an eye roll in response Marinette followed Chloé to the main entrance
where they were being picked up. Settling in some chairs not far from the door they chatted while
they waited for their ride, well aware they were being watched by their classmates. After a bit
Chloé’s phone buzzed and she pulled it out to check. Glancing at their classmates, she typed
something out with a wicked little grin growing on her lips.

In less than two minutes, Tim walked into the lobby looking like he’d just stepped out of a
men’s casual fashion magazine. He was wearing well-fitting jeans, a snug red t-shirt, and brown
shoes. His hair was messy, as if he’d ran his fingers through it repeatedly. He spotted Chloé
standing up and almost came to a dead stop before he got himself back under control.

“Chloé, you look lovely. Yellow really is your color I think,” he raised the hand she’d given
him up and placed a kiss delicately on her knuckles. Marinette heard more than one girl, not just
her classmates either, sigh in delight at the display. The two in question were once again lost in
each other’s eyes.

Feeling someone come up beside where she stood watching, she turned to see who it was
only to see Damian with a smirk on his face. She had to jerk her thoughts back under control after
she’d taken in his outfit. A black fitted t-shirt (which he rarely wore), slim fitting cargo pants and
black shoes all showed his figure off to perfection and it was doing things to her brain. With a wink
at her, he turned to the couple still in their own world. “Charming the girl already Drake?” Chloé
jumped and Tim’s head whipped to look at his little brother. In the face of the glare directed at
him, Damian smirked again. “Come on, Alfred is waiting you know.”

“Right.” Tim helped Chloé into her jacket and held out his elbow for her to take. While that
was happening, Damian glanced around to see if Marinette’s classmates were still around. They
weren’t. Lila had led them away to hide the jealousy she felt when watching Tim greet Chloé.

He helped Marinette slip her coat on, and knowing Tim wouldn’t be able to see, caught her
hand and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist before placing that hand in his elbow. “You
look exquisite,” he whispered in her ear as they followed Tim and Chloé out the door.

The quartet were soon ensconced in the limo Alfred was driving and chatting about whatever
struck their fancy. Once Alfred had dropped them off it took little time to get in the door.
Marinette, Chloé, and Damian were all given bright red stamps on their hands to show they were
under the legal drinking age. Inside the club was huge, a large open dance floor ringed with tables
and chairs. They were lucky enough to find an open table along the wall right at the edge of the
floor. Quickly settling into their chosen spot, they flagged down a server to order a few drinks.
 A slower song started up and Tim gallantly asked Chloé to dance with him. As soon as they
were lost in the crowd of couples, Damian pulled Marinette to him for a quick kiss. “You really do
look fucking amazing this evening, mon coeur.”

“Merci, mon cher. You’re looking pretty damn sexy yourself.”

They pulled apart before Chloé and Tim could notice them; it wouldn’t do to give away the
game just yet. They’d been planning this for years after all. The song changed to another slow one
and soon Damian was able to see his brother and Chloé. He quickly snapped a picture of them
being adorable and sent it to the family group chat with an amusing caption ~They’re being sweet
enough to rot a tooth out just from watching.~ Marinette was watching over his shoulder and
promptly started laughing.

When the song was over and the absent couple had returned, Tim checked his phone and
threw a glare at his younger brother. “What the hell dude?”

Damian shrugged, “Not my fault. Besides, I’m sure you’ll end up taking plenty of pictures of
me in the future. Consider it just me getting a bit of my own in.” Tim blinked, what the hell is up
with him? The song changed again and Marinette distracted him by letting out a laugh.

“Oh I love this song! Chloé come dance with me!” she bounced out of her chair, ready to let
loose.

Chloé shook her head with a laugh, clearly wanting to stay with her bonded if the way she
was leaning on him was any indication. Before Marinette could even pout, Damian was up and
grasping her hand. Spinning her into a twirl he lead her out onto the floor, her delighted laugh
trailing behind. Tim was floored to see his grumpy younger brother doing something so far out of
his norm. And he knew what he was doing too if the way he was moving with Marinette was any
indication. Pulling out his phone he shot a quick video of the pair before sending it off to the
family chat. Guess he was paying Damian back sooner than he had anticipated.

~Dude what the fuck?~ Jason was the first to respond.

~It looks like Master Damian is having a good time.~ Alfred, because of course he would
maintain some decorum, even in his texts.

~Holy shit. I knew he was comfortable around her after watching them interact at WE but I
didn’t think he was that comfortable. When did he learn to dance?~ That one was Dick.

A couple hours passed quickly, Tim and Chloé occasionally stepping onto the dance floor
while Damian and Marinette occasionally sat down for a breather. As the evening went on it was
clear that Damian had been hiding that he knew how to dance very well from his family. The
pictures and videos Tim had sent to the family chat clearly displayed that if their reactions were
anything to go by.

Damian deliberately ignored his family’s reactions. Marinette dodged Chloé’s questions,
saying she would explain later. The end of the night approached and none of them wanted it to end
although Marinette and Damian were more subtle about displaying it. Tim asked if they were
interested in getting a bite to eat. They were but Chloé suggested that they return to the hotel and
get room service since she and Marinette had to be back soon anyway.

As they walked through the lobby, Marinette spoke up, “How about we use my room?
Nobody else knows where it is yet and I don’t have a roommate that could potentially bust in and
be nosy.”
 “Sounds like good idea, Mari.” Chloé easily agreed. “Thank you.”

Upon entering her room, Marinette tossed the twenty-four-hour room service menu to Tim
before she stepped into the bedroom. She quickly emptied her jacket pockets and made sure Tikki
was comfortable hidden in a night table drawer. Poking her head around the corner she was saw
Chloé was busy engaging Tim’s lips in an activity with her own. Damian pointedly kept his gaze
on his phone, scrolling through the texts his family had sent. Rolling her eyes in good humor
Marinette grabbed Chloé’s jacket from where she’d placed it and returned to the bedroom. A quick
check let her find Pollen and she quickly showed the bee kwami where Tikki was settled before
she hung Chloé’s jacket up with her own.

Amid the small talk after rejoining the others, she made sure to tell Chloé where she’d put
her jacket. The four were comfortably chatting about anything that struck their fancy when there
was a soft knock on the door. Marinette was swift in answering it, happily accepting the cart with
the goodies Tim and Chloé had ordered. The food didn’t last long. Neither did Tim. Once he’d
eaten his fill and settled back against the couch with Chloé leaning on him he started yawning hard
enough Marinette was surprise he didn’t crack his jaw.

“Lay down Tim, I don’t mind if you crash for a bit,” Chloé ordered softly. He listened and
stretched out with his head in her lap. She carded her fingers through his hair and the poor guy was
sound asleep in minutes.

“Wow. You’ve got a magic touch Chloé,” Damian spoke quietly in deference to his sleeping
brother. “Tim usually has trouble sleeping thanks to some rather intense rounds with insomnia.” No
one in their class would believe Marinette if she tried to describe the soft expression that crossed
the blonde’s face as she looked at her bonded.

The three sat in silence for a while, Damian looking at his phone, Marinette sketching a few
ideas out, and Chloé watching Tim. When she let out a yawn of her own after a bit Marinette spoke
up, “Lay down with him Chloé. That couch is wide enough if you’re on your side. You can stay
here; I don’t mind in the least.” She got up and grabbed a pillow off her bed to bring to Chloé. The
blonde eased out from under Tim’s head and placed the pillow there instead. Without a word she
kicked her heels off and settled in on her side next to Tim. He mumbled something and shifted to
his side before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, all without waking up.
Marinette bit back a grin as she spread a spare blanket out over them. Chloé mumbled out a thank
you, already half asleep herself.

Damian snapped a picture of the two sleeping and sent it to the family chat ~Holy shit, he’s
asleep! They’re definitely going to rot someone’s teeth out at this rate. ~

Waving Damian to join her, Marinette moved into the bedroom area, turning the lights in the
sitting area off. Opening the balcony curtains to avoid needing to turn a light on, she turned to
Damian. He tossed his phone on the bed carelessly and joined her by the balcony door.

The intense look in his eyes made her stomach flutter and without hesitation she allowed him
to pull her tightly to him. Their lips met and they lost themselves in each other. Damian’s arms
were firm and tight against the small of her back while she gripped his shirt in her fists. Pulling his
lips away from hers, Damian littered kisses along her jaw and her neck, enjoying the little gasps
she let out. With a nip of her ear, he whispered, “I love you Marinette.”

“I love you too Damian,” she replied just as softly.

He pulled away, “I would love to continue but we would end up with an audience. I’m not
sharing you or the way you react; that’s for me alone.”
 “Damian,” she whispered, eyes dark with desire. The smile that blossomed on his lips was
only ever directed at her.

“I know, love. I know,” he kissed her forehead and stepped away. “Come on, lets watch
some movies until we pass out. Otherwise those two will get woken up by you screaming my
name,” his grin was definitely saucy.

Marinette huffed out a nearly silent laugh, “Damn it Damian, you can’t say shit like that and
not expect me to want to jump you.” She kicked her heels off and pulled out her tablet and a set of
earbuds. As they settled on the bed, she remembered something she’d thought of at the club. “By
the way, can I see the pictures and videos that were taken tonight?”

Damian handed his phone over without a word. In the group chat that had been blowing up
his phone all night she found what she wanted. Tim had shot a few videos of them dancing to some
of the faster songs as well as pictures. One picture had caught her mid twirl, skirt flaring. Another,
which was probably her favorite, showed them flush together, her right knee between Damian’s
knees and her left leg hitched up to his hip as he twisted her to her right in a shallow dip, their noses
just barely touching. She remembered the song; it was a slower bachata and one of her favorites.

“Can you send me a couple of those please? Especially this one?” Marinette showed him. He
easily agreed and did that while she picked a movie. Soon they were leaning back against her pile
of pillows, him using the left earbud and her using the right as the watched the movie on the tablet
that was between them. Neither made it through the movie before falling asleep.

*****

Batman growled as he sat in front of the computer in the Cave, digging into the archives of
the Justice League communication logs. An idiot had ignored the calls for help from Ladybug. So
far he’d found two attempts to contact them and he had a feeling there were more to be found. After
Dick had brought up the information he’d gotten from Marinette the day of the Wayne Enterprises
tour, they had begun investigating. To their horror, Marinette had understated the severity and
impact Hawkmoth had upon Paris.

Someone’s head was going to roll once he got all the information he could gather from the JL
archives and determined just who had ignored the calls for help from children. Although he had a
strong suspicion already Batman wasn’t one to move without all the information if he could help it.

*****

Marinette groaned and let her forehead drop onto Chloé’s shoulder as they stood in the
Gotham Museum of Arts the following afternoon with their class. They had the joy of listening to
Lila babble about whatever she deemed necessary for her to hold attention. Today it had started
with her squealing about the date her ‘Damibear’ had taken her out on last night. (Marinette had
grumbled to Chloé that Lila had started that one due to Chloé having a date the night before, even
if it was chaperoned by Marinette and Damian.) When they’d arrived in the section of the museum
that was dedicated to the vigilante heroes and the villains they’d fought in the past, Lila’s bragging
lies had taken an expected turn.

She was proudly proclaiming that she had worked with Batman and his crew to catch
criminals of Gotham. And she wasn’t being quiet about it.

“That little idiot is going to get herself and possibly some of us killed if she doesn’t shut up!”
Chloé grumbled to Marinette. “Serve her right if you ask me but I don’t think it would be fair if she
dragged someone else into it.”
 “She’d find some way to blame it on me.” Marinette turned away in disgust, “Ugh, I can’t
watch anymore.” She was quiet for a few minutes before she side eyed Chloé, “You certainly
seem like you slept well last night and enjoyed your wakeup call this morning.”

“Mari!” Chloé squawked loud enough that their class looked over. And promptly dropped
their jaws when they saw Chloé blushing. The Paris mayor’s daughter saw them looking and sent a
harsh enough glare that they all turned away, each wondering when Marinette had learned how to
make Chloé blush. Turning back to her companion, “You’re awful you know that right?”

Marinette just laughed. “I’ve been taught by the best!”

“Oh?” a blonde eyebrow went up. “Who’s that then?”

“Not telling! Not yet at least. I promise you’ll know before too long though. Probably before
we get back to Paris,” Marinette grinned unrepentantly.

The two were interrupted by Adrien walking up to them, “Marinette why do you keep trying
to make Lila mad or show her up?”

“What the hell are you talking about Agreste?” Marinette snapped, very fed up with him.
He’d spent the last couple years telling her to ‘take the high road’ and leave Lila alone while he
just stood back and let her have free reign to attack Marinette. At the same time he got mad when
she tried to make friends outside of his sphere of influence if he found out about it. It had been
awhile since he’d even approached her outside of when she was Ladybug. Not that he knew she
was Ladybug, and that she knew he was Chat Noir. “I’m not doing anything to her. In fact, I’d
rather be as far away from her as possible.”

“Not according to Lila and Alya. You keep badmouthing her and trying to get her kicked off
the trip.”

Chloé was not happy with the blond model. “Get gone Adrikins. Go back to your mistress
and leave us alone. Neither of us have done shit to them but I will do shit to you if you don’t
scram!” It was a testament to the power of Chloé’s glare that he got gone tout suite.

Marinette sighed, “Is it sad that I’d almost forgotten he was even on this trip?”

“Honestly, probably not. He certainly hasn’t stepped out of Lila’s shadow very much since
we got here,” Chloé shook her head.

“He told me a couple years ago that his father told him to keep Lila happy. I guess Gabriel
declared her his muse or some shit like that,” Marinette shrugged. “I don’t honestly know how long
that brand will stay afloat if the crap he’s putting out now stays his norm. I really looked up to him
before you know? Now though,” she shuddered, “his designs are going down the drain if you ask
me.”

“Yeah, my mom said the same thing a few months ago. She’s already in the process of
ending any of their collaborations.”

Marinette shook her head, “Anyway. How did you sleep last night? You two looked quite
cozy when I checked on you.”

“Probably the best I’ve ever slept, even if it was on a couch.” Chloé sighed, eyes soft as she
stared into the distance, “I know I just met him Mari but I think I love him already.”

The shorter girl chuckled, “Not too surprising when you think about it. You’re both mature
enough for a romantic relationship and soul mates are perfect matches.”

“How do you know so much about soulmates anyway? You never explained that the other
night when Tim and I bonded. Oh! And how the hell do you know how to dance like you were last
night anyway?” Chloé blurted out her questions.

Marinette laughed as the two followed their class further through the museum. “I’ve been
taking dance lessons for a few years now. Some martial arts classes too. I fell in love with dancing
after watching a competition a few years ago. I don’t know all of them since I don’t even like all of
them but I know the ones I do like very well.”

“That’s how you learned to move in heels isn’t it?”

She nodded, “That’s how it started yes. You wouldn’t believe some of the shit I’ve caught
myself doing in heels since then. I think the thing that surprised me the most was when I did a
backflip to dodge an akuma that ended up near me before Ladybug showed up and I landed it
perfectly.”

“Seriously?” Marinette nodded. “Damn!” Chloé was quiet for a minute, “Show me? Better
yet, teach me!”

“Which one?”

“The dancing please. Tim’s better at it right now than I am and I really enjoyed the little
dancing I got to do with him. It’s so different to the ballet I used to take.”

“I’ll teach you the waltz before the Gala so you can do that. How about you join me in
classes when we get home?” Chloé agreed happily and the two continued to follow their class
while simultaneously ignoring most of their chattering nonsense (meaning Lila’s stories.)

A couple hours later the class was locked in one of the gallery rooms. By thugs. With guns.
Lead by Two-Face of Gotham villain fame.

Of fucking course this would happen. Thanks Lila, Marinette snarked mentally, just barely
refraining from glaring at the girl and pinpointing her for the thugs and their still absent boss. She
wasn’t completely heartless when it came to the girl. The thugs got the hostages in the room
corralled into a corner. Lila had managed to slip behind Ivan so she was completely out of the
thugs’ sight while still managing to keep Adrien next her via the death grip on his arm. Adrien was
just as alert as Marinette and Chloé but could do nothing thanks to the chestnut hair girl. Marinette
and Chloé themselves were at the edge of the group of hostages made up of their class and a few
random stragglers who weren’t able to run out of the room when the thugs burst in, guns in hand.

The shattering of glass had a few of the girls let out weak screams. A rope fell into the room
through the now busted pane of the glass roof. The whizzing of someone rappelling into the room
was loud in the silence after the screams and when dress shoe covered feet hit the floor with a thud,
Marinette started cussing under her breath in every language she knew, which at this point was a
lot. Chloé glanced at her wide-eyed but quickly returned her gaze to the threats in front of them.

The man that turned to face the group was hideously disfigured along the entirety of the left
side of his face. It looked like it had been melted and the eye on that side appeared to be bulging
out. His clothes were dual nature. His right side was clothed in a high-end suit while his left side
looked like a suit a mobster from the prohibition era might have worn; pin stripes and all. He
looked over the hostages and let out a dark laugh, clearly enjoying himself in the face of the fear
thick in the room.
 “Word on the street has it that a girlie in here is friends with the Bat. Which one of you is
it?” he said. When no one answered he motioned toward Chloé and Marinette, the only two who
were still standing after everyone else had crumbled to the floor in fear. Neither of them were
willing to show fear to these morons. “Grab them.”

The thug that went to grab Chloé decided to merely use his gun to motion her to the middle
of the room after the glare she sent promised to castrate him if he touched her. Marinette stared,
eyes half lidded, at the one who made to grab her arm. The cold expression on her face and the
deadly threat in her eyes was enough to scare him away from touching her. Without looking at him
again, she marched over to where Chloé stood. The thug trailed behind, gun still on her.

“Let’s play a game of chance shall we? Until whichever of you who knows the Bat speaks
up, I’m going to flip a coin to see whether I shoot one of these two lovely young ladies or not,”
Two-Face held up his infamous coin, the disfigured side clearly visible to Marinette in the short
distance. With a sigh she tipped her head back, wondering at her luck in this whole thing. How the
hell did shit like this keep happening around her anyway? She needed to ask Tikki. As she was
musing, she saw a movement outside the hole in the glass roof.

“Uh boss,” one of the thugs along the outside of the room spoke, “are you sure that’s a good
idea?” Two-face apparently didn’t like being questioned. Without hesitation he turned and put a
round into the thug. More than one person screamed or yelled in shock.

Taking a deep breath he turned to Marinette, the closest person to him, “I apologize for that.
I don’t always find myself being so violent but,” he turned a bit toward the one he’d gunned down,
“sometimes I just can’t help myself!” He started cackling. In the quiet it was possible to hear a
couple of the hostages begin having panic attacks.

Marinette let her expression frost over again, drawing Two-Face’s attention back to her
without her doing anything. This son of a bitch was going down and she had a plan that would
allow the help she knew was on the roof get into the room without anyone getting hurt.

“Aw, is the little girl scared?” he chuckled, patting her cheek with his off hand.

Her smile could have given someone frost bite if they touched it, “No. I’m pissed.” The
scarred man barked a laugh out, clearly not concerned. Too bad for him. “Are you going to toss
your damn coin or not, you overrated thug? After all, you need to know whether you’re going to
shoot one of us or not.”

“Girlie, just for that you’re the first in line,” he snarled. He flipped the coin off his thumb
and while the man was watching it in order to catch it, she acted. Her left hand swung up and
knocked his gun holding hand up in the direction of the ceiling as her right hand came up and
punched him in the throat. She heard the zipping sounds of bodies rappelling into the room and
four sets of feet hit the ground behind her. A fifth landed behind the gasping man in front of her.
Despite this, Marinette decided to make sure the villain couldn’t get away or even fight. With a
practiced hand she threw a hammer fist at the man’s temple and knocked him out.

Not bothering to acknowledge the masked man in front of her, she spun to find Chloé. The
blonde was a whirling dervish as she dodged the two thugs that had targeted her. Around the room
Robin, Red Robin, Red Hood, and Nightwing were busy with the rest of the thugs. Batman was
busy with another pair after tying up Two-Face.

Not hesitating, Marinette took a running leap at the thug who was just about to clock Chloé
across the back of the head. She bowled into him, knocking him to the ground. Quickly pinning his
arms down under her legs as she sat on him, Marinette pulled back and let a hard-right fly at his
chin. Ding, ding, ding! And that’s the match! He was out cold. When she looked up she saw Chloé
drop her own opponent using a beautiful front kick to the upper chest that knocked the man down.
His head hit the floor and knocked him stupid long enough for Red Hood to snap restraints on him.

Just like that the fight was over.

Getting to her feet, adrenaline still flowing she looked around the room. Robin and Red
Hood were dragging thugs to the wall opposite where the hostages were still huddled. Nightwing
had gotten one of the doors open for emergency service personal to come in and get the former
hostages out. Police streamed in, intent on getting the thugs rounded up and carted off to prison.
Two-face was bundled out and away to Arkham Asylum by two very muscular officers. Marinette
was musing that the man would have a devil of a time overpowering those two when she heard
Chloé choke on air.

Jerking her head around, she saw the Bee wielder staring at Red Robin in shock. Marinette
stepped closer to ask Chloé what was going on. Instead she caught the blonde as her eyes rolled
back and she dropped like a sack of bricks.

“Chloé!” Red Robin jumped forward. Marinette’s head whipped toward him as she cradled
her friend against her. Her eyes met dark blue ones filled with worry. She recognized those eyes!

“Tim?” she whispered. He gave a tiny nod. “Holy shit,” her voice was still quiet. Thank
goodness she and Chloé were the last ones in the room with the masked men; no one was there to
wonder how Red Robin knew the blonde’s name.

“Here. I’ll get her out to the EMTs to have her checked out. I think the shock got her,” Red
Robin gently took Chloé from her, care evident in how he handled her.

Batman spoke up, “Hood, Nightwing. Go with him and give your statements to Gordon.” He
turned to Marinette, “Miss, Robin will see you out to the medical personal to get checked out.” An
almost smile graced his face, “You did very well against Harvey.”

“Harvey?” her voice was quiet, as if she couldn’t break the quiet that had descended on the
room.

“Two-Face’s given name is Harvey.” He said before pulling out a grappling gun and
ascending to the roof. Marinette stared at the thin cords the five vigilantes had used as they were
pulled back up.

A touch on her shoulder had her turning. Bluebell blue met emerald green and Marinette’s
world tilted on all axis. Those were Damian’s eyes! In those eyes she could see pride, a bit of fear,
and a wealth of love and affection. A high-pitched buzzing rang in her ears which felt as if they
were stuffed with cotton, and her vision started to dim around the edges while the color in the area
directly where she was looking became hyper-saturated. She crooked her lips up into a sheepish
smile before she copied Chloé and crumpled to the floor, out cold.

“Shit!” Robin cussed as he caught his love before she hit the floor. He barely held back a
sigh of relief when he found her pulse to be steady and strong.

His comm piece brought the voices of his brothers and father to his ear as they all asked
what happened. Finally his father hushed the rest and asked, “What is it Robin?”

“She fainted. I’ll bring her to the EMTs.” He scooped her up bridal style, head resting against
his shoulder, and swiftly made his way to the front of the museum. When he got there he saw that
Chloé was awake and sitting on the bumper of one of the ambulances, wrapped in a blanket, so he
took Marinette to that one. Red Robin was across the way leaning against a cop car but Robin
could see the tension as he held himself back from holding his soulmate.

Robin could easily understand that because he certainly didn’t want to put Marinette down
much less step away from her. He still had to do it. After gently putting her down on a gurney near
Chloé he stepped over toward Red. “You okay?” he asked, sotto voce. Red nodded, jaw clenched.
Wondering why, Robin looked around and spotted the reason on the other side of the car. She was
talking. Loudly. About how she’d gotten Batman there to help them because she was such good
friends with them. With a growl Robin said, “Batman get down here and deal with this harpy
before she gets these students attacked again.”

Barely a minute after he said that Batman literally dropped onto the scene from the roof. The
French class, now that they were out of the life and death situation and were recovering, burst into
chatter. Batman spoke with Gordon briefly before the two men walked over to the French students.

“Mr. Batman! Thank you for coming when Lila called!” Alya gushed in English, almost too
excited to translate her thoughts into the correct language.

“Who? We weren’t called, we heard about an attack here on the dark web and acted,” the
man in the cowl responded in his usual gravelly voice.

“Lila! Lila Rossi, your civilian aide!” Alya pulled the girl in question forward, completely
missing her face rapidly pale.

Batman looked at her before looking at the rest of the class. When he spoke it was in
English, “I don’t know a Lila Rossi. Nor do I have a civilian aide.” He shifted his hard gaze to the
girl that had been pulled forward. “I suggest you stop lying before you get yourself or someone
else killed.”

Robin barely held back snickers as Lila wobbled on her feet and her classmates started
whispering around her. Lila recovered and whispered that Batman was just pretending he didn’t
know her for her safety. He did snicker when Batman promptly turned around and glared at the
girl while he said, in French, “I do not lie young lady. And if I have to have you thrown in prison to
prevent you from endangering yourself and others with your lies then I will!”

Actually, everyone who was on the comms snickered and would again when the video
recording on Batman’s suit was watched for analysis of the situation later on. Her expression was
epic.

A groan came from the gurney Robin had placed Marinette on. He turned to find her sitting
up with help from an EMT. “Did anyone get the plate number of the bus that hit me?” she
mumbled in French. Both Robin and Red Robin snorted in amusement. As they watched, the EMT
checked her over and gave her a clean bill of health before letting her move over to sit with Chloé,
the two girls huddling under the same blanket.

Hearing an engine rumble, Robin turned to check the sound and promptly started cussing in
Arabic when he spotted a familiar bus pulling away. Turning to Red he switched to English and
growled quietly, “Those dipshits left them again!”

“Who left what now?” Hood spoke up. Rather than risking being overheard, Robin and Red
strode over to where Nightwing and Hood were standing a bit separated from everyone. The two
Robins tersely explained what had been happening with the class Chloé and Marinette were a part
of over the course of the week, including how many times they’d been left behind.
 Batman came over, having finished talking with Gordon. “I’ll be having a chat with a few
people then.” He turned to Nightwing and Hood, “You two get them back to the hotel.” Next his
gaze landed on his two younger sons, “You two get back and changed. Then I want you at the hotel
to check on them.”

All four of his sons did as they were told while Batman grappled back up to the roof and
away from the dispersing crowd. He had some teachers to investigate and possibly parents and a
hotel manager to call.

Chapter End Notes

Translations:
mon coeur: my heart (French)
Merci, mon cher: Thank you, my dear (French)

So I'm still adding to my list of endearments for future use. If there is one you like,
feel free to share! I'm especially looking to add Arabic, Mandarin (Chinese), and
Cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong, among other places, I think) to my repertoire.

I love fanart almost as much as I love music (meaning a ridiculous amount) but I can't
draw to save a life. If you are an artist and I spark inspiration, please share so I can
drool over it and probably share it further. Artists should be revered in my opinion but
I'm biased (and jealous but that's minor).
 Chapter 4
Chapter Summary

in Which: Marinette and Chloe get back to the hotel and react to what happened at the
museum. Tim is a lovesick goose. Wayne Manor is taken over by a battle of 'epic'
proportions. Marinette explains and demonstrates a little about soul mate bonds. Lila
strikes from off screen. Marinette is pissed off.

Chapter Notes

*cues dramatic, high tension music*

Tropes! Sass! Rage! Battle Royal! This chapter might seem a little slow but a lot of it
is sleeper action that sets up later chapters.

TRIGGER: Panic attack mentioned near the end of the chapter. It is not written
out/described because I've never experienced a full one and I have no desire to
discredit those who do or have experienced them by messing up my description. That
just seems wrong to me.

Language translations at the end.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

If one were to ask either Marinette or Chloé exactly how they got back to the hotel, neither
would have been able to give a clear answer. Just that they did and it was Nightwing and Red Hood
that got them there. Once in front of the hotel, Marinette snapped to and the two girls hooked
elbows and kept them hooked all the way up to Chloé’s room. Luckily, Alix was out, probably
with Max and Kim in their suite. She got Chloé to take a quick shower and while she did that,
Marinette sent a text to Tim telling him Chloé’s suite number as well as the fact that her roommate
was out.

Chloé came out of the bathroom and Marinette guided her to her bed, where the Bee holder
settled back holding a pillow to her chest and staring blankly out the window. Pollen settled among
the golden strands of her hair, buzzing quietly to comfort her Bee. Putting a hand on Chloé’s she
got the blonde’s attention. “If you want, when you talk to Tim you can tell him you’re Honeybuzz
and used to be Queen Bee.” The two girls had gotten Chloé’s new identity settled when she’d
gotten Pollen back. Chloé nodded just as there was a knock on the door. Marinette smiled at Chloé
and gave her a kiss on the forehead before answering the door.

Just as she thought, it was Tim.

“She’s through the open door on the left.” Marinette stepped out of the room. “She hasn’t
said anything yet; I think she’s a bit numb from the shock of the whole situation. I’ll let her
roommate know what’s going on.” Tim nodded his thanks and entered the suite, door shutting
behind him softly.
 “One more thing to do,” Marinette took a deep breath before moving down the hall to a
specific door. After knocking she waited patiently. She knew they were in there; she’d heard them
talking when she and Chloé had walked by. Sure enough, Max soon answered. “Can I talk to Alix
for a second? I need to tell her something.”

“Come on in, she’s in with Kim.”

Marinette didn’t bother looking around the room. She was on a mission and wanted to get it
done so she could get to her room and lose it without anyone she didn’t want to see seeing it. Alix
was curling into Kim’s side on the bed in one of the bedrooms. Marinette could see tear tracks on
the usually upbeat girl’s face and Kim was surprisingly stoic. Max went around to Kim’s other side
and curled into him, one hand reaching over to hold one of Alix’s.

“Alix, I just wanted to let you know I got Chloé settled into her room. Her soulmate is in
there with her so you know. Didn’t want you to potentially walk into an unknown guy being in
your suite.”

Alix nodded, “Good. That’ll help her more than you or me being there will. Will you be
okay?”

“Yes. I plan to go to my room and probably work on something until I pass out from
exhaustion so if no one sees me until Monday morning, that’s why. Text me if you guys need
anything or if you think Chloé needs me.” All three nodded in understanding and she let herself out
of the suite. Silently she moved through the hall to the elevator and rode it to the floor her own
mini suite was. As she turned the corner to her room, she saw Damian leaning against her door,
staring at his feet. Her footsteps were so silent on the carpet as she walked that he didn’t hear her
and look up until she opened her purse to pull out her key card, carefully keeping her eyes averted
from his.

Stepping into her room, she motioned him to follow her in. Quickly she gathered a sleep
romper and other things she needed to take a fast shower. Marinette wordlessly indicated she’d be
right out and to make himself comfortable while he waited. Damian knew what she was doing;
she’d done it before many times. He hated it every time.

Marinette had become a master of holding it together until she felt it was safe for her to lose
it.

While he waited for her, he pulled the curtains over the balcony door closed to block out the
light of the setting sun. She wouldn’t appreciate any light coming in later on. The blankets on the
bed were pulled down and the pillows arranged to comfortably hold two people who were
cuddling. Once that was done to his satisfaction, he flipped all the lights off except one of the
bedside lamps. Hearing the shower shut off, he dug into the overnight bag he’d packed for his
sleepwear and changed swiftly. He rubbed Tikki’s cheek with his fingertip, quietly assuring her
he’d take care of her Chosen for her.

The bathroom door opened and his heart stepped into view. Wordlessly she walked to him
and rested her forehead on his chest for a moment before climbing into the bed. Damian waited
until she looked at him and patted the bed next to her. As he got comfortable he could see she was
starting to shake. A small tug on her arm got her laying down, tucked neatly against him with his
arms around her.

That broke the dam. She completely fell apart, crying, hiccupping, and shaking. It was a
wonder she didn’t snap from the tension he could feel shuddering through her. He didn’t say a
word, letting her know he was there by rubbing circles on her back and giving her little squeezes
occasionally. Marinette kept a vice grip on his shirt as she pressed her forehead into the crook of
his neck.

Eventually she calmed down and slipped an arm around Damian’s waist. After a bit she
sighed, “I need to wash my face. And you probably want to change your shirt.” She sat up, tossing
him a shy smile and went to clean up. Damian took her suggestion and changed his shirt. When
Marinette came back she was holding a bundle of fabric and sewing implements. Getting
comfortable against the pillows, she started working needle and thread through the satin she’d
picked for her dress. Tikki flew up and settled into her dark tresses, idly patting Marinette’s
forehead to comfort both the girl and the kwami.

“Talk to me mon ange. Please?” Damian spoke softly after a number of minutes had passed
where nothing was said.

Bluebell eyes flicked up to him, “Well now I know your family’s secret.” Damian couldn’t
help himself and burst into relieved laughter. Not that any of his brothers would believe that he was
even capable of that but they’d soon learn. “Am I correct in thinking Dick is Nightwing, Bruce is
Batman, and Jason is Red Hood?”

“Yes. How’d you recognize Tim and I anyway?”

“It was a combination of his reaction to Chloé fainting and his eyes. For you, it was your
eyes and our bond. I think I’ll always recognize you in whatever disguise you use.” She tilted her
head, “I’m pretty damn sure Chloé recognized Tim the same way I did you.”

Damian nodded, “It would make sense. Although, I need to ask if you’re mad at me for
keeping it secret, even after you got here.”

“Of course not!” she dropped her work and leaned over to touch her forehead to his, Tikki
easily floated up out of the way. “It wasn’t just your secret to tell. Besides, you did tell me it was
there but that you couldn’t share what it was.”

Before the green-eyed hottie (according to Marinette that is) could respond, his phone rang.
Knowing who it was thanks to the custom ringtone he answered quickly, “Father? Is something
wrong?”

“Everything is fine Damian. Are you still with Miss Dupain-Cheng? How is she doing?”

Damian glanced as Marinette, “Yes I’m still with her. She didn’t want to be alone and Chloé
is currently with Tim. Her other classmates all had someone to be with so I am keeping her
company.”

“Very good. May I speak with her please?” Bruce’s voice was calm. Damian blinked and
held the phone out to her.

“Hello?” she cringed at how shaky her voice was.

“I’m doing okay all things considered. Paris has been fairly chaotic over the last five or so
years. This wasn’t the first time I’ve been held hostage but it is probably the first time that
involved real firearms,” she said softly in response to whatever his father had said.

Damian watched Marinette’s expressions as she talked to his father. The multiple emotions
that flickered across her face were interesting to watch and he wondered what his father was
saying. Since he knew she’d tell him, he didn’t bother trying to listen. “I appreciate that Mr.
Wayne but wouldn’t it be easier to just let the hotel know that Miss Bustier and Mr. Marchand are
no longer to be allowed access to us? As well as move Chloé to her own room if she wants since
she’s sharing with a classmate? Of course, that classmate tends to sleep with her soulmates.”
Marinette paused. “No sir, two of them are eighteen and the third just turned nineteen. They’ve
been bonded for about five years now.”

Marinette laughed, “Honestly, you’d have to ask Chloé that one. I don’t know if she wants to
keep a room that Miss Bustier can find. I’m not worried about her finding me. She doesn’t know
my room number thanks to her belief that I’m the role model for the class as well as her own
incompetence. If the staff is willing to block all attempts to find me I’m content to stay in the room
I have.” She was quiet for a bit, listening intently with occasional glances at Damian. “I will sir.
Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Good-bye.”

Phone back in his possession, Damian saw his father had disconnected the call already.
“Bluebell? What’d my father want?”

The way her face lit up when she grinned told him she was happy. “He’s managed to get
Miss Bustier and Mr. Marchand removed as my guardians of record for the trip and replaced them
with himself. For Chloé too. We can do whatever the hell we want and those two can’t say shit!
Maman and papa even faxed over the paperwork to him already. On top of that, if we want to press
charges for negligence he’s offered his lawyers up for us to utilize.”

“I think my father likes you two, mon ange.”

A saucy grin crooked her lips up, “Of course he does. We’re going to be his daughters-in-
law, even if he only knows about one of us.”

Damian eyes darkened and he reached over to grasp her ankle. (Tikki promptly ducked away
to hide, very aware of the signs of what was to come.) Marinette quickly moved her sewing work to
the nightstand and let him pull her to him. As he moved her closer, she let her body shift so she was
on her back, a foot on either side of Damian’s hips. He surged up so he was looming over her and
he saw her eyes darken as they flickered between meeting his own gaze and his lips. Confidently
he let some of his weight press onto her and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She responded
enthusiastically, hands sliding along his sides to find the bottom of his shirt and slip back up along
his back under his shirt. Damian pulled away from her lips and traced his lips down her neck, a
repeat of his actions the night before, this time fully intending to follow through with what he’d
started the night before.

The two spent the next couple of hours enjoying each other before falling asleep, pleasantly
exhausted.

*****

Jason and Dick were waiting for their brothers when they got home the next morning. Tim
strolled in looking disgustingly chipper, flopping down on a couch in the family room with a little
hum. Damian followed, his eyes rolling.

“So where were you two last night?” Dick asked, a grin on his face.

“I was with Chloé,” Tim answered in a daze, a dopey expression on his face. “She’s
amazing.” He let a full body stretch roll over him before turning his head to his brothers. “The
thing you should be asking is where Damian was last night. I didn’t see him at all after we got to
the hotel.”

Damian looked up from where he was gazing into the fire, “I was keeping Marinette
company. She didn’t want to be alone and Chloé had Tim.”

“Demon Spawn, did you spend the entire night there?” Jason asked.

“Yes.”

“Little D! You cad! You rake! Sleeping with a girl you just met,” Dick chortled.

Raising an eyebrow he looked at his brothers, “What, exactly, are you getting at?
Marinette’s room has an extremely comfortable couch as Tim can attest to.”

Jason gave a shit eating grin, “I think maybe Demon Spawn has a crush on Marinette. He’d
certainly never stay with anyone else for something like that.” Dick and Tim snapped their heads
around to look at the youngest. Damian rolled his eyes and turned back to the fire.

“He was pretty cozy with her when we went out to that club,” Tim drawled.

Damian rolled his eyes again, “Father asked me to check on her and Chloé with Drake. You
guys know this. Why speculate on anything?”

“Yup, he’s got a crush,” Jason stated baldly.

The youngest Wayne sighed and turned back to his brothers. “Let me be clear. I do not have
a crush on Marinette. She is, however, good company while I have to chaperone Drake and Chloé.
Am I understood?” His brothers could detect no sign of embarrassment in Damian’s body
language; no blush graced his cheeks. The three grumbled to themselves about not being able to
tease him and left for other parts of the house.

Damian glanced after them, a smirk hidden behind his hand. Of course I don’t have a crush
on Marinette. I love her. A crush is too simplistic, he thought to himself as his eyes returned to the
fire.

*****

That afternoon saw the three teens and Tim (who was twenty-three going on nineteen if
anyone asked Damian) at Wayne Manor. Somehow Bruce had gotten all the paperwork required to
switch the girls into his care taken care of on a Saturday. Chloé had been moved to a mini suite just
down the hall from Marinette’s and Alix had officially moved into the suite Max and Kim shared.
Not that Miss Bustier or Mr. Marchand even noticed. None of the students had seen them since
they got back from the museum the day before. In fact, outside of school and the various class
activities such as tours, the two of them weren’t usually around. Marinette was seriously starting to
wonder if Damian hadn’t been right about them hooking up. She shuddered at the thought.

Currently she, Chloé, and all four Wayne boys were in the room that had been designated the
family room years ago. The topic of conversation ranged from the teachers hooking up to the
attack (not mentioning that the girls knew who they were) and more. Currently they were on the
topic of soulmate bonds.

“It isn’t possible to prove that a couple are soulmates if you don’t see their bond activate
though. No matter how well someone matches,” Tim was certain of this.

Marinette didn’t agree. “Guess again Timmy,” she chuckled. “You’re dead wrong and I’m
going to prove it to you.”

“How’s that?” Jason asked from the chair he was lounging in.
 The shortest of the group went to where Chloé was sitting with Tim and knelt down in front
of the blonde Bee, making sure to not touch her. “Chloé I want you to try something. Close your
eyes and breathe to my count.” Ocean blue eyes closed and soon Marinette was guiding Chloé into
a meditative state, softly issuing instructions. “Focus inward. There’s a bond, almost string like,
that stretches from you to Tim. Can you see it?” After a couple minutes Chloé nodded silently, her
breathing still calm. “Good girl. Now, what I want to you do is reach out and pluck or strum that
string.”

Suddenly Chloé and Tim were once again surrounded by the swirl of yellow and red that had
appeared when they bonded, this time a little brighter and more intertwined than before.

Tim jumped, Jason and Dick cussed, and Damian smirked while Marinette stood up and
moved back to her seat. Chloé opened her eyes and stared at Marinette in shock as the light faded.
“How the hell did you know about that? How do you know so much about soulmate bonds? You
never did answer when I asked you yesterday.”

Damian got up and made his way into the kitchen for another round of drinks, knowing what
was coming. As he was gathering up three beers for his brothers and the soft drinks he, Chloé, and
Marinette had been drinking his aura lit up in a swirl around him. Meanwhile, the others ignored
Damian leaving the room as their focus was solely on Marinette. She sighed and leaned back in her
chair.

“I know because I’ve learned all this with my own soulmate.”

Chloé’s jaw dropped, “No way!”

Instead of answering verbally, Marinette closed her eyes and searched within for her bond
with Damian. Gently strumming it, she flared their joint aura. Opening her eyes Marinette was
witness to the other four staring at the swirl of crimson and black in awe. It was extremely bright
and vibrant, the colors tightly intertwined.

“Why is yours so much brighter and tangled looking than theirs?” Dick asked, pointing
between her and the only bonded pair in the room.

“The bond my soulmate and I share is older and fully matured,” she said as Damian returned
carrying drinks for everyone. He was quickly caught up on what he’d missed but claimed he didn’t
need to see the light show that had surrounded Marinette. He’d already seen it around himself but
no one else knew that.

“How come no one at school knows about this?” Chloé asked.

The petite girl shrugged unapologetically, “We didn’t want to share each other with anyone
else. So, we kept it secret from everyone. I haven’t even told my parents.”

“What about your crush on Adrien?”

Marinette dropped her face into her hand. “That was a combination of things. Alya was dead
set on the idea that I had a thing for him. I also kind of used the idea of it as a decoy? If I hadn’t
Alya would have kept digging until she found something else and I don’t take too kindly to people
snooping in my business. Alya wouldn’t have backed off because she doesn’t know how to in the
first place.”

“Wait, you mean you’ve had an active bond since before Lila showed up?”

“Longer actually,” Marinette stared at her hands to keep her eyes from trialing to Damian.
“We met just after I turned twelve. He was thirteen. Adrien was never an interest beyond the
clothes his father designed.”

“Holy shit DC!” Chloé stared in slight awe, “You hold the record for oldest bond in our class
and no one knows about it!” Laughter bubbled out and she jumped up to do her version of a happy
dance. Marinette stared, not believing her eyes. “Please tell me I can be there when the class finds
out. Better yet, I want to be the one to tell them!”

Marinette laughed, relieved Chloé wasn’t mad at her over the whole thing, “I’ll see what I
can do.”

When Bruce walked in a few hours later, having been out in Gotham on who knows what
sort of business, he was greeted with laughter, shouts, bangs, crashes and the sight of Damian and
Marinette sprinting out of the family room. His son grabbed Marinette’s left hand and jerked her to
the left. Without missing a beat Mariette pitched the couch pillow she held in her right hand at the
slightly open door across from them as the two hot-footed it down the hall and out of sight. Before
he could do more than blink Jason and Dick came out of the family room, wielding Nerf guns and
looking rather rumpled.

Jason skidded to a halt, “Bruce! Did you see Demon Spawn and Sparkplug come barreling
through here?”

“If I knew who Sparkplug was I might be able to answer that one,” Bruce raised an eyebrow.

“Marinette,” Dick supplied the answer but before Bruce could answer, Jason spotted the door
Marinette had chucked that pillow at.

He smacked the back of his hand against Dick’s arm and pointed before going over to peer
into the room. Not seeing his prey he stepped into the room only to let out a shout and go running
back across to the family room, snagging Dick by the arm on his way. Bruce watched as Nerf
missiles flew out the door after Jason before Tim and Chloé appeared, matching grins on their
faces as they took off after Jason and Dick.

Shaking his head he moved down the same hall Damian and Marinette had gone down and
found them exactly where he thought he would. They were hiding in his study, laughing into couch
pillows. “Do I even want to know?” he asked, highly amused to see his usually stoic son almost red
from laughing. Was this really his son? Bruce had never seen him like this in the entirety of the
eleven years Damian had lived with him.

Marinette barely bit back another bark of laughter at Damian’s response. “We got the drop
on them earlier and now they’re determined to try and take out the superior team. The problem is
we’re not playing by their rules. Not that they know that of course.” Yep, definitely his son. Wow.

Getting her breathing under control, Marinette turned back to Damian. “Come on, I have an
idea that’ll completely fuck with their heads.”

Bruce sat in shock at the grin his son directed toward the girl who barely came up to his
shoulder. He simply stared as he watched the two sneak out hand in hand, off to do what Bruce was
sure his other sons would declare a ‘dastardly deed.’ That girl must be magic. Roughly an hour
later he heard running footsteps approaching the door to his study. Looking at the open door he
saw his three oldest boys and Chloé go hurrying by, sans Nerf guns.

Curious, since the only door down that direction was a side door to the ballroom (it boggled
the mind that Wayne Manor did indeed have a ballroom, even if it was on the smaller side) Bruce
got up and followed them. Jason, who was in the lead, grabbed the handle of the closed door and
held up three fingers. When his count hit zero, he threw the door open and ran into the room with a
shout, the other three hot on his heels.

The room was empty of people but in the center of the room was a small speaker playing
music and a bucket of Nerf darts with a note sticking out from underneath it.

“No wonder we couldn’t find any more darts after we ran out! They were gathering them
up!” Tim laughed.

Jason just looked at the bucket in shock, “How the hell did they manage that?”

Dick picked up the note and started laughing as soon as he read it. Showing it to the others,
it read: We win! Good luck figuring out where we’re at, suckers. There was a crude little sketch of
a devil and an angel at the end.

*****

The video, had it been opened, would have shown a series of scenes in which Paris was
razed to the ground, a burning inferno, or even completely flooded with only a handful of the vast
population being visible plus more. In each and every scene dead bodies clogged the roadways
and littered open spaces. A large percentage of the scenes showed at least one dead hero within
eye-shot of whoever was filming. Usually it was Chat Noir but occasionally it was a variety of
other heroes with animal themes including a fox, a horse, a turtle or a dragon. As the scenes
progressed, the number of times any one of those heroes appeared dropped off until barely even
Chat appeared.

Finally the disastrous scenes stopped playing and Ladybug appeared in front of the camera
in a light-colored room. “So much for heroes existing within the Justice League. Every single one
of my calls for aid has been ignored. The citizens’ calls for aid have been ignored. Despite what
some may believe, this is not a cosplay going on here. People have been dying, repeatedly and only
my Cure has been keeping Paris standing.”

The eyes visible within the spotted mask narrowed, clearly furious, “Fine. You keep on
ignoring us. Knock yourselves out. I can guarantee that when you come back around and find these
again I won’t allow you in my city. I won’t deal with a compromised Superman or Wonder Woman
much less any of the rest of you. Sit in your little ivory tower while real heroes take care of the
situation here. You’re no longer welcome in my city. Bug out!” This may have gotten a response if
it had ever been opened. Unfortunately, Green Lantern was the one who saw it come in and he
recognized the address.

He sent it to the archives without ever opening the email or the video it contained after
marking the contact info as spam. One more email from that address joined it two years later. It
read: villain situation is neutralized.

*****

Two weeks passed in a flurry of activity for the Parisian class, especially Marinette and
Chloé. Each Parisian student had been assigned a project that would carry their grades from
Gotham Academy back to Paris. For each student, all of the teachers they had would grade the final
project based upon that teacher’s subject. In Marinette’s case, she was making a formal gown. It
was obvious how her tactile class instructors would grade but her business teacher would grade
based on its marketability and other similar criteria.
 She had no idea what anyone else’s projects were but Chloé had been grumbling about
something to do with a business platform for over a week. What she was doing for her project,
Marinette had no idea. Either way, Marinette was busy working with Bruce and Tim, finishing her
Gala dress, creating Chloé’s gala dress, a pair of masks to match each dress and working on her
graded formal gown as well as ‘chaperoning’ Chloé and Tim and sneaking time alone with Damian
as much as she could.

Before she knew it, it was the third Friday of their month-long stay and she was walking to
the front of the school with Chloé, both having already changed out of the horrendous (in their
opinions) school uniform. Happily ignoring the trio of Alya, Lila, and Adrien that was walking a
little bit behind them, the pair chatted about Marinette’s graded assignment.

“They really think that dress is good enough to wear to the Wayne Gala next week?” Chloé
asked before she scoffed and waved a hand in the air. “What am I even thinking? Of course they
think it’s good enough. Your designs are fantastic, Mari. Even my mother thinks so.”

Marinette laughed, “Thanks Chloé. I think what sparked it was when they asked if the dress I
brought for the Gala was the inspiration. I had to tell them I didn’t bring anything for it from home
since I didn’t even have a formal gown to bring.”

No way in hell was she going to mention that she’d made her own dress after they got to
Gotham. There was no need to tempt Lila to try and find her hotel room to break in. As it was, the
only reason she felt comfortable in talking about her project at all was because the room she
worked on it and kept it in was locked unless the teacher was in there.

By this point they were out the front door and were pleasantly surprised to find Tim and
Damian leaning against Tim’s car as they waited for the girls. Thanks to it being a half day, there
were a significantly higher number of students out front. Many of them recognized Damian from
the year before and there were groups of girls tittering amongst themselves over the pair of
handsome young men. Marinette could hear the disappointment when Chloé sashayed up and
kissed Tim before tossing a glare over her shoulder at a particularly close group. More than one
jaw dropped when Damian, the infamous Ice Prince of Gotham, caught Marinette’s hand and
brought it to his lips for a kiss to her knuckles, a common greeting between them when around
anyone else. Those same jaws broke off what Marinette laughed and leaned into his side for a hug
and he didn’t throw her off.

The expressions of the trio who had been behind them certainly didn’t cause snickers.
Adrien in particular looked like he had sucked on an extremely sour lemon. The girls flanking him
just looked pissed and jealous all at once, which seemed to be their default expressions whenever
they saw any combination of the quartet that had at least Chloé or Marinette in it. Not bothering to
acknowledge the minor chaos around them, the four got into the car and left.

The weekend went by swiftly and before anyone was ready for it, it was Monday morning.
Marinette was putting her things into her locker when one of her teachers approached her, an
unimpressed expression on her face. “Marinette would you please come with me? I’ve already
gotten you excused from your classes.”

Not a little worried, the Parisian girl answered the only way she could. “Of course. What’s
wrong?” her stomach was jumping with nerves but it never showed on her face. The teacher just
shook her head and escorted Marinette to the classroom where her dress was. Oh no. Despite her
best efforts, Marinette felt her face pale and her hands started to shake.

Stepping through the door and around the wall blocking the room from view, Marinette was
indeed met with what she feared. Her project was absolutely trashed. It had been an elegant
concoction of off-white satin that she would have honestly been delighted to wear if she had made
it in her size. Now it was anything but. Paints had been dumped on it, oils if the odor in the air was
any indication and had time to set into the fabric. In addition to that, someone had taken sheers
after it and shredded the skirt. It looked like someone had thrown an entire box of knives at it.

Distantly Marinette heard the door close behind her but her gaze never left the dress. Her
back hit something and her knees gave out as she slid down whatever it was to land on her rump.
As she stared the dress got harder to see, not that she’d ever get the image out of her mind. She
could see it in what felt like high definition.

Marinette was completely unaware of her teachers watching her. At first they had been angry
that such a lovely work in progress had been damaged beyond repair. Then one of them hesitantly
brought up a rumor that one of the other Parisian students had mentioned; that Marinette was never
able to finish anything because she couldn’t handle the pressure so she would sabotage her own
work to get extensions. That made no sense in this case but the instructors had decided that they
needed to make sure it hadn’t been Marinette who damaged the dress. The absolute shock and
heartbreak that radiated from her figure when she spotted the dress had swiftly proved she was
innocent.

The door opened again and two others walked in with the headmaster of the school. Bruce,
as the one who had taken over guardianship (if it could be called that) was now the one on record
at the school if there was a parental requirement. As such, he had been called immediately after the
teachers had found the dress and just before Marinette herself got to school. Damian had been with
him and once he heard that there was something wrong in relation to Marinette he had refused to
not go with his father. To hell with going to his own classes, his soulmate needed him and even
though no one else knew they were bonded that wasn’t going to stop him.

Bruce and Damian entered the room proper and were faced with the destroyed dress.
Damian’s attention snapped away, trying to find Marinette. The soft gasping sobs immediately
behind him had him spinning to find the very person he was looking for smack in the middle of a
panic attack and completely unaware of her surroundings if the glazed look in her eyes was any
indication. Why the hell weren’t the teachers doing anything?! Moving swiftly he scooped her up
and into his lap as he sat on the floor where she had been. Grasping her hands he pulled her head so
her ear was against his chest.

“Breathe ma petite” he spoke softly, inaudible to the room’s occupants. Seeing Damian had
Marinette handled, Bruce motioned the teachers and headmaster to move further into the room,
providing some privacy for both groups. Marinette wasn’t ready to hear what the teachers said.

Damian noted this but kept his focus entirely on Marinette. Rubbing her back soothingly he
coached her, “Breathe to my count. Come on love, breathe.” To his relief when he started counting,
she followed his instructions. Eventually she relaxed against him completely, feeling safe in his lap
with his arm around her back and her hands in one of his. Closing her eyes, Marinette focused on
listening to Damian’s heartbeat. Too soon the bubble around them was pierced by Bruce’s voice.

“Excuse me?” Damian knew that tone. His father was Not Happy and it was likely
someone’s metaphorical head was going to roll.

Marinette lifted her head and sighed tiredly. “Come on, we may as well find out what’s
going on,” she whispered as she went to stand. Damian shifted her to the floor and stood before
pulling her up and wrapping an arm around her as she slumped against him. The pair approached
the group on the other side of the room.

Bruce turned to them, his eyes softening noticeably when he looked at Marinette. It was easy
to see she was exhausted. “Are you alright?”

Unable to voice how she felt, she shrugged. “What is going on exactly? All I know is that I
was brought into the room to find my dress irreparably destroyed.” She paused; when she spoke
again tears were audible in her voice, “How am I going to get a passing grade now? I don’t have
time to start over. It took me over two weeks to get what I had done and it still wasn’t completely
finished!”

Damian could feel her starting to shake again and pulled her into a hug, face hidden from
everyone. His cold green eyes speared the teachers, highlighting that he was still the Ice Prince
who had stalked the school’s halls just the year before. Honestly though, if the expression Damian
could see brewing in the back of his father’s eyes was any indication, Damian wasn’t the one they
needed to worry about.

The teachers explained how the dress had been found, the headmaster was contacted, Bruce
was contacted, and Marinette found and brought into the room. Damian watched his father. It
never failed to surprise him just a little each time he saw his cold demeanor manifest in his father.
He’d learned over the years that he got more than he had thought from Bruce, probably much to his
mother’s chagrin if she knew.

Bruce’s eyes iced over. “You mean to tell me you brought the student who had put hours
into a major, graded project, into the room to see it without preparing her for what was going on?”
His voice was smooth, dark, and dangerous; a clear ‘don’t fuck with me because I’m going to ruin
you’ tone threading through it.

The teachers started blabbering on about a rumor relating to Marinette’s work ethic. The
vague nature of the rumor mentioned told the black-haired couple exactly who had started it.
Damian was pissed. Bruce was pissed. Marinette on the other hand had been approaching a cold
rage as the teachers spoke.

Gently pulling away from Damian, Marinette turned her attention to the teachers and
headmaster. Her bluebell eyes had darkened, cold and flashing with a dangerous edge in a face that
was perfectly calm and pleasantly composed. The three teachers froze when she pinned them with
her gaze. Bruce and Damian backed up just a bit when Marinette started to prowl around them, her
body language similar to predator stalking prey.

“So, educators at the premier school in Gotham like rumors and stories,” she purred, her soft
voice velvet coated steel. “I’m going to tell you a story of my own. Would you like that?” her
eyelids dropped to half mast, a clear ‘stay silent’ signal. “Once there was a young girl who loved to
design clothes and hang out with her friends. She loved school; one day a new student started. That
new student began telling the most fantastic stories about her life.

“Designer girl knew the stories to be lies due to personally knowing some of the famous
people liar girl was talking about. So liar girl threatened to take designer girl’s friends away and
despite believing her friends would stand with her, they all deserted her and ran to liar girl. After
all, who wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who knew Jagged Stone personally, among
others. Liar girl accused designer girl of bullying her amongst other things such as ignoring and
badmouthing classmates. Soon the entire class hated designer girl.”

Marinette circled around behind Bruce and Damian, brushing her fingers against Damian’s
back. Stepping in front of the teacher who had brought her into the room, she stared into the taller
woman’s eyes briefly before switching her gaze to stare down the other teachers in turn. Marinette
continued in the same soft, low voice she’d been speaking in. “Jump four years into the future and
the situation has changed little except designer girl doesn’t care about it anymore. She has better
 people in her life and legitimate confirmable commissions to fill her time. Before too long designer
girl’s class leaves on an educational trip the class had earned at the end of the previous year. They
come to Gotham and all attend Gotham Academy, including the two girls.”

She paused and tilted her head, “Can you guess what happened? No? I’ll tell you.” Marinette
wasn’t about to let them get a word in edgewise. “Designer girl was happily working on her
project, watched over by her teachers. Liar girl was doing what she did best; lie.” She stepped back
toward Damian, “Now, you tell me which girl you think you would believe if one of their projects
were destroyed,” the soft tone of her voice left and Marinette snarled the last sentence as she let the
leash on her rage relax a bit.

“D-designer girl,” one of the teachers stuttered.

“Correct,” the calm tone Marinette returned to after the snarl was a jolt to the senses. The
teachers actually jumped a little. In an almost carefree manner, she brought tapped her lip and
asked, “Any ideas who the two girls actually are?”

The headmaster, by this point, had figured out just how badly the three teachers had messed
up and was almost as mad at them as Marinette, Bruce, and Damian were if the glare he was giving
them was a clue. “I feel I am very certain in saying you’re the designer and the source of the rumor
these three based their actions off of is the other girl in your story.”

“Correct sir. If you would like to know, her name is Lila Rossi and I would bet money that
you’ll find out she was here, or one of her lackeys was, on Friday after school and that my dress
was ruined then,” Marinette’s voices was cordial. She turned to Bruce, “Mr. Wayne could you do
me a favor please? I’ve no desire to stay in the room with these three and I know you’ll get it
done.”

“It’s Bruce to you Marinette. What would you like me to do?” he held his voice even.

Marinette directed a saccharine smile at the three teachers but her voice was back to velvet
coated steel, “Ruin them.”

Chapter End Notes

Language translations: (Mostly thanks to my own previous French classes and my

current Duolingo lessons)
mon ange: my angel (French)
ma petite: my little (French) (Most likely used as English speakers would use 'little
one.' If you're familiar with the Anita Blake series, this endearment is VERY familiar.)

POLL TIME!
In the Daminette fic I am currently writing, I'm not sure who to pair Chloe with (if
anyone). The options I have on the table are: Nino, Jon Kent, and Tim Drake, plus the
option of no one. Thoughts? (Yes, I will post it after I've finished writing it. If i post
before it is done I'll never finish the darn thing.)
 Chapter 5
Chapter Summary

In Which: Chloe is worried. Marinette lets her inner Queen out to play. Damian and
Marinette break a few brains. Jason kisses the floor. Chloe gets in on the surprises. A
possible future problem pops up on Chloe's radar. Lila gets trolled.

Chapter Notes

*Gasp* Surprises abound, for most that is. Tropes too but that's the point isn't it?

This chapter takes place over less than a SINGLE day...but there is a lot happening.

My oh my, more dancing. I love music and dancing. (In fact, I'm listening to music
right now.) It isn't very much dancing though, and there were no real songs influencing
the scene but I will suggest that if you're looking for one that fits the mental space I
was in while writing that scene then check out: Soy el Mismo by Prince Royce. It's
findable on YouTube and Apple Music and possibly more.

There is some swearing but not a large amount.

See end notes for language translations and a note about the move Marinette uses
(trust me, you'll know what I mean when you get there.)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Chloé was more than worried by the time Tim escorted her into the office he shared with
Bruce a few hours later. Marinette hadn’t been seen since that morning just after they got to school
and she wasn’t responding to texts or calls. Tim had said she was safe but extremely upset and that
he would explain once they met up with Bruce.

The office was teeming with male fury. Not too shocking once she’d paused to take stock of
the room. Bruce held himself still, staring out the window behind his desk with arms crossed. Dick
and Jason were both vibrating with anger, pacing around since they were unable to stay still. Tim
stalked to the coffee table in the middle of the room and opened something up on a laptop before
motioning her over.

“Here, watch this,” he handed her earbuds. He gave her a kiss on the temple and sat back,
glaring at the screen.

Chloé turned her attention to what looked like a security camera feed, complete with sounds
since she can hear a bell ring in the background. In the center of the room, away from other
projects tucked against walls was a dress form with what probably used to be a dress on it. As she
watched two teachers enter the room and stand off to the side, chatting about whether or not they
thought ‘she really did it herself.’
 “Oh no,” the Bee holder unconsciously murmured. The three in earshot glanced at her but
she either didn’t see or ignored them.

Watching Marinette walk into the room and react to the destroyed dress was heartbreaking,
especially since none of the three teachers even looked at her as they talked about how she
obviously hadn’t done it and theorized who it possibly could. Chloé growled through clenched
teeth as she watched her best friend deal with a panic attack without the teachers even looking at
her. It was gratifying to watch Damian notice quickly and spring into action to take care of the
petite designer. Whatever he said wasn’t picked up by the mic but it was obvious that he was
helping her.

“Go Mari!” Chloé murmured as she watched Marinette go off on the three teachers. The
video stopped right after Marinette’s request to Bruce. She looked at Tim. “Where is the video
from Friday?” Tim didn’t say a word as he reached over and pulled that video up too and pressed
play. Sure enough, there was Lila with Alya right beside her sneaking into the room. It made
Chloé’s stomach roll to watch the two decimate Marinette’s project.

Yanking the earbuds out, unable to finish watching the rest of the video, Chloé jumped up
and prowled around the room, almost buzzing with anger. After a couple laps her gaze snapped to
Bruce. “Did you?”

“Gladly,” he responded just as he had to Marinette. “They’ve been dismissed and lost their
teaching certifications along with charges being brought against them. I’ve also arranged it so that
Marinette’s grade will be determined one of two ways at her discretion. The remaining teachers in
that department along with Marinette’s business class instructor will grade her project using the
documentation and video Marinette had or they’ll give her a grade based on another item she has
designed and created,” Bruce explained. “Do you know if she has something that can be graded for
instead of the ruined dress?”

Chloé let a Cheshire grin cross her face, “She does. She’s made two other gowns since we
got here and they’re better than the one that got shredded.” The grin turned into a dark laugh,
“Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to convince Mari that she needs to show those dresses
and you’re” she pointed to Bruce, “going to make sure all the relevant teachers, including those
three dimwits, are there to see them. None of you are to be there. No hacking the feed to watch
either. The gowns she’s going to show are the ones she made us for the Gala and we simply cannot
have you knowing ahead of time just how fabulous we’re going to look. You’re also going to keep
us away from Lila and her bunch. There’s a damn good reason I never pushed Mari that far when I
was being a brat and Lila managed to smash so far beyond that line I’m surprised Mari hasn’t
taken her out just for spite. The girl is dangerous when she’s properly pissed off.”

The blonde gave them a raised eyebrow when they just stared at her, apparently surprised
that she’d taken control of the situation. All of them understood the unspoken order to get off their
asses and get shit done. Bruce called the school’s headmaster, Tim arranged transport for the two
girls for the rest of their time in Gotham, Dick got in touch with Alfred to get some garment bags to
Marinette, and Jason fired a string of texts to Damian to update him on the situation. He had no
idea where his youngest brother had disappeared to but at this point it was probably for the better
since he was even more bloodthirsty than Jason was when riled. This would have Damian riled. It
was obvious he liked Marinette despite her having an active bond.

Damn I love being the Queen Bee of the Hive, Chloé thought to herself in amusement as she
too pulled out her phone. It took surprisingly little time to get Marinette on the phone and
convinced to go through with Chloé’s plan. In fact, the black-haired miniature powerhouse wanted
to get it done that very day. Chloé told Bruce, who being on the phone with the headmaster, was
able to easily set it up and excused both girls and Tim from work that day.

Chloé and Tim hurried out of the building, anxious to get to the hotel where Marinette was.
They’d learned that none of the other Parisian students were going to be at WE for the day; Bruce
had personally excused them all for the day. That meant Lila and Alya were at the hotel as well.

Hurrying across the lobby, Chloé ignored Sabrina and Adrien sitting on one of the couches.
Instead she went straight up to Marinette’s room and once the girl let her into the room the blonde
Bee swept the smaller girl into a hug. “Kwami; Mari, are you okay?”

“I’m fine Queenie,” Marinette pulled back to smile at her, letting the nickname she’d given
Chloé the week before slip through her lips easily. “They’re not going to break me now. Not when
I’m so damn close. I see this as the first nail in their coffin.”

“Have they tried bothering you?”

“No, they weren’t here when I got back and even if they managed to figure out where my
room is, Damian has been on guard duty all day.” At that Chloé blinked in surprise and looked
around. Sure enough, there was Damian lounging on the couch playing with this phone. Seeing
Chloé was there, he said he would wait in the lobby with Tim and left the room. “It was Bruce’s
orders,” Marinette added as an afterthought.

“Huh.” Chloé couldn’t process any other reaction. Shaking her head to gather her wits, she
asked, “You ready to lay another smack down on those utterly ridiculous excuses for teachers?”

Marinette laughed much to Chloé’s delight. “Absolutely. Although a little birdie told me his
father got their teaching certificates revoked on grounds of abuse, among other things. I’m still
going to stick it to them.” Marinette, having changed into one of her power outfits sat to get her
heels on.

Chloé took a moment to survey her girl. She was definitely out to make a statement. Her long
black hair was completely contained in a bun that was somehow both messy and refined. The outfit
she’d settled on screamed that she wasn’t to be messed with. Her dress was a red one-piece sheath
that hit a tiny bit above the knee and over that the designer had tossed on a short black blazer with
the sleeves rolled up. In Chloé’s opinion though, the piece de resistance was the shoes. They were
three-inch black pumps with an ankle strap. This girl was ready for fashion war.

Lila was going to regret what she’d started; Chloé was certain of that.

The pair each grabbed a garment bag from where they lay waiting on the bed and headed
down to the lobby. While they were in the elevator Chloé got a text from Tim saying Lila and Alya
had joined Sabrina and Adrien. Then a second immediately after saying Kim, Max, and Alix had
returned from wherever they had been with Nino and Nathaniel and were still in the lobby. This
should be epic, Chloé smirked to herself.

The elevator doors dinged open, drawing the attention of those nearby. Letting Marinette go
first, Chloé was able to savor the sharp intake of air from multiple people. The bonded triad and
the duo of boys with them grinned and wolf whistled. Lila and Alya looked like they’d sucked on
the world’s sourest lemon, jealousy very obvious on their faces. Adrien’s expression worried Chloé
a little. He looked almost possessive as his eyes traced along her best friend’s figure. Meeting
Tim’s eyes across the room, she was comforted to see that he’d seen the same thing.

Marinette completely ignored their classmates as she sashayed confidently across the room.
When she reached the door, she turned and locked eyes with Lila. A sassy smirk quirked her lips
and she tossed a wink at the chestnut-haired girl. The shriek of rage the girl let out as Marinette
exited the lobby was extremely gratifying. Chloé couldn’t help herself and started laughing as she
took Tim’s elbow as they followed Marinette with Damian.

Alfred quickly got the quartet to the school where they were met by Bruce, Jason, and Dick.
With a nod to them, Marinette lead the way into the school with the command of a queen.
Knowing where to go thanks to a heads up from Bruce on the way over, she let her heels click
solidly on the tiled floor as she made her way to the large conference room where the teachers were
waiting. Listening to the little devil on her shoulder, Marinette pushed the door open with enough
force to make it crash against the wall.

“Good. You’re here,” she said confidently, taking control of the room immediately. Turning
she took the garment bag Damian was carrying and motioned Chloé into the room with the other
one. “You guys can wait out here since I don’t want you seeing these until the Gala.”

Jaws dropped as her casual dismissal of the Wayne men. Marinette saw the teachers who had
already been fired cringe, they’d really fucked up and it was only just starting to slam home. Not
hard enough in Marinette’s opinion. She wanted them choking on it. And damn it all, they were
going to!

“Settle down,” the other teachers were whispering quietly and Marinette’s command got the
silence she wanted. “Since my project was destroyed, it was decided that I could present another of
my pieces of work to be graded instead. Keep in mind, I was also accused of not doing my work in
a timely manner and in fact would sabotage what I had done in order to get a time extension.” The
three former teachers cringed again and avoided meeting the eyes of their former co-workers.

Marinette smirked, “To show how drastically wrong this is, rather than show you one, I’m
going to show you three to ram home the fact that I did in fact design and create them. Two of
them I did after I arrived in Gotham and I did them without a sewing machine.” While she’d been
talking, Chloé had gotten the garment bags hung up using open cabinet doors and then stepped
back to watch the show.

“First up, a design I did before coming to Gotham. The outfit I’m currently wearing,”
Marinette did a model walk around the room, making sure to turn so it was visible from all angles.
When she started describing the process and the nuances she’d added to make it an original, Chloé
let a smirk play across her lips as she watched an absolute queen rule the room with poise and
confidence that many could only dream of possessing.

In the hall outside the conference room, Bruce and his sons were experiencing an array of
nervous energy running through them. Jason and Tim were, oddly enough, the two who were the
most restless. Bruce and Dick were both fairly calm but was obvious that neither was happy with
not being able to be in the room to protect the young girl the entire family had come to care for
over the last three weeks. Shockingly, Damian was the calmest. In fact, he had earbuds in and was
listening to music.

Jason eventually noticed. “What’s up with Demon Spawn? I thought he’d be going off the
rails by now. He’s gotten rather attached to Sparkplug after all.

Damian chuckled, having heard him easily over the music playing softly in his ears.
“Believe me Todd, she’s got this handled and doesn’t need us getting in the way.”

“Wait, what?” Jason actually stopped dead in his tracks to turn and stare at Damian.

“Exactly what I said. Ask Drake if you don’t believe me. Get that pint-sized powerhouse in
the right settings and she can rule the world. Fashion just so happens to be one of those settings.
Trust me, she’s got this,” done with the conversation, Damian tipped his head back and let a little
smirk curl the corner of his lip. Yeah, his girl was awesome.

Tim fidgeted and nodded, “Little D is right. Marinette knows the topic. She was talking
about something she made back home the other night and it was obvious. I just want to know
what’s going on in there!”

“Relax!” Damian cracked an eye open. “They said we can’t watch because Marinette is
showing their Gala gowns. At no point did either of them say we couldn’t watch the feed after the
Gala.”

Jason barked a laugh, “Demon Spawn is right! Sneaky little brat.” The grin that
accompanied that statement was full of good humor. Damian rolled his eyes; of course he was
sneaky. He’d been trained to be.

They’d find out just how sneaky he could be soon. The thought brought a smile to his face.
The smile on his face brought chills to his brothers. What was Damian thinking to smile like that?

*****

Bruce lead the cluster of (to him) children into the manor. Marinette and Chloé had exited
the conference room with the same command they had entered it before they lead the way out of
the school. Alfred had returned home and swapped the Bentley out for the limo in order to fit
everyone when they left. No amount of questioning the girls had resulted in an answer and
eventually the four younger men gave up.

Marinette turned the two garment bags over to Alfred with instructions to not let anyone look
inside. She then joined Chloé on one of the couches in the family room. The two sat quietly for a
couple minutes before their eyes met and they promptly burst into laughter.

“Their faces!” Marinette spluttered.

“K-kwami they looked s-so scared!”

“Did you see the one faint when she figured out who I am?” Both girls gave up at that point
and lost the fight completely, trying desperately to stop so they could properly breathe. Eventually
they stopped laughing and slumped back on the couch, exhausted.

Dick, along with the others who’d been watching spoke up. “Kwami?”

Chloé blushed, “Ah, yeah. That. Hard to explain without spilling a few secrets that belong to
people who aren’t just me. In this instance think of it as an expression of emphasis something like
‘damn’ or ‘goodness me’ and you’ll be somewhere in the ballpark.”

Damian snickered, “Did I hear you mention that one of the teachers in the presentation
fainted?”

Marinette barked out a laugh before groaning, “Good grief I’m actually sore from laughing.
Chloé, there’s something wrong with me isn’t there? Never mind,” she waved a hand in the air.
“Oui to answer your question. The one who was overseeing my project directly recognized my
hallmark on the three outfits I presented today. It was hilarious! She spotted it, squawked it out and
promptly slid right out of the chair.”

Chloé cackled weakly, “I almost died it was so funny. I think the only thing funnier was the
glares the other textile instructors speared her with when she woke up. They were not happy with
her.”

“Wait, you’re saying you’re famous?” Jason asked, a little bit confused.

The smirk that crossed Marinette’s face was extremely familiar to the Waynes but only one
could place it. “I’m getting there. At the moment I’m very particular about the clients I accept and
who they are.” Her eyes flicked over all of them, a devilish light flickering in them.

She stood, slipping her blazer off before handing it to Dick and retaking her seat. “See if you
guys can figure it out.” Chloé, Damian, and Marinette all watched with amusement while the other
four (Bruce included) examined the blazer, unsure what they were supposed to be looking for.
When they’d returned her blazer and still hadn’t figured it out, she asked, “Would you like a clue?”
They nodded and she said, “You’ve commissioned from me before.” Chloé huffed, barely holding
back a chuckle. Marinette had spilled the beans when they’d had one of their gab sessions as they
grew closer. No way was she ruining Marinette’s fun.

“Eh? All of us?” Jason asked.

“No, I’ve never seen Damian’s name come across as a requested commission.” That
apparently didn’t help them. Snickering, she turned to Damian, “Would you like to show them?”

Damian almost bounced to his feet, “Absolutely, meine liebe.” Bruce jerked upon hearing
that. Before he could speak, Damian was in front of Jason. “Todd, can I borrow your jacket for a
second?” Jason eyed his brother but slipped his ever-present brown pseudo-leather jacket off and
handed it to Damian. Damian flipped the collar up and expertly located what the others had been
unable to find on Marinette’s blazer. “Here,” he said, running his finger over the small stitched
lettering that spelled out MDC in gentle calligraphy, expertly hidden among decorative swirling
reminiscent of wind.

Jason followed suit and ran his own finger over the stitching. His head snapped to look at
Marinette and his jaw dropped when she winked at him. In mild shock, he showed Bruce, Dick,
and Tim. The first two were suitably shocked but Tim’s reaction was hilarious. He squeaked,
jumped, and stared blankly, slumped back in his chair completely overcome by shock.

“How did we miss the stitched signature?” Bruce asked, highly amused by his son’s reaction
to discovering the identity of his favorite designer.

“I use matching thread, it’s small, and always in a spot that’s hidden but easy to find. I’ve
had people try to plagiarize my work in the past and using a signature is how I proved it was mine.
I work it into a design to hide it in plain sight. For example on my blazer it’s in the decorative
stitching on the underside of the right cuff,” Marinette explained.

“She’s right. When I was still a brat I tried to claim one of her designs as my own but she
pulled the stitching brand out of her hat of tricks and bam I was busted,” Chloé shrugged and
chuckled.

“Huh. I can see why you do that then,” Dick mused as he leaned over to poke Tim in the
arm. “Think he’s going to come back from wherever his mind wandered off to anytime soon?”

Jason snickered, “I got this. Hey Timmy boy! Your favorite designer is here to give you an
autograph!”

It worked. Tim came to with a jolt and sat up before looking around. Turning to glare at
Jason he snarked, “Funny. MDC doesn’t give autographs. No one even knows who MDC actually
is.”

Marinette couldn’t help herself. She walked over and held out her hand, “Mr. Drake-Wayne,
how is the blue suit I sent you two months ago fitting?” Tim’s gaze snapped to her and he
automatically grabbed the hand she held out. Giving him a firm handshake she smiled, “As for an
autograph, I think I can be persuaded to give one for my bestie’s bonded.”

It took some time for everyone to calm down after witnessing Tim’s reaction to that.

Later that evening, after a wonderful meal provided by Alfred the group scattered. Bruce
dragged Jason and Dick to the cave to continue researching the situation with Hawkmoth, Mayura
and their created minions. Tim was dragged off by Chloé to who knew where, leaving Marinette
and Damian to relax in the family room. The two conversing sotto voce in Persian as they enjoyed
the fire burning brightly in the fireplace.

“I think we may have broken them. They didn’t ask how you know about my signature,”
Marinette mused. “I was expecting them to ask that.”

“They’ll figure it out eventually. Are you ready for them to find out the truth about us?”
Damian asked.

The soft smile he received matched her answer, “More than ready, love. In fact, I was
wondering if you wanted to let them find out sooner than the Gala.”

“I can agree to that.” They were quiet for a minute before he stood and turned to her. “Come
on.” He led her to the ballroom (rarely used and thus mostly private) and pulled up music.
Slipping his phone into a pocket he held out his hand, “Dance with me?”

“Always,” she breathed out softly, glad she’d forgone redonning her blazer after admitting
she was MDC.

One of her favorite things to do in the world, right up there with designing, was dancing with
Damian. She loved the way his arms held her and led her in the steps the music dictated they take.
One of her favorite bachata remixes began to play and she closed her eyes as Damian pulled her
close, his left hand trailing down her bare shoulder to grasp her right hand. He brought it up and
pressed it against his heart while she tucked her head along his neck, enjoying the close contact.
They didn’t make any fancy moves like they might have if it were a faster song or they were at a
club. Instead Damian led them through softer movements that still evoked what bachata was.
When the song ended, another started and they kept dancing, lost in a world that was just the two
of them.

At the end of a song that held significant meaning to them both, Damian tipped her face
toward him with a finger under her chin and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. The two were jerked
back to reality by a shout. Their heads snapped toward the door where everyone in the house stood,
including Alfred. Jason was the one who had yelled if his enraged expression was any indication.
Of course, the way he was storming toward them where they stood in the middle of the ballroom
was another clue.

“Seriously Damian? You’re making moves even though you know she’s got a fully active
soul bond? Even though you swore you weren’t interested in a relationship? What the fuck dude?”
The family members behind him were shocked, both by what they’d walked in on and Jason’s
reaction. He reached them and tried to grab Damian by the collar of his shirt, ready to read him the
riot act while dragging him away from Marinette.
Marinette was not. Having. That.

She grabbed the hand Jason extended and twisted. Jason crumpled to the floor with a very
undignified yelp. Marinette somehow got him onto his stomach before almost daintily sitting on
his back, his hand still twisted in her grip. Jason tried to get out of her hold but she simply bent his
wrist just so and it stopped him cold. After a few minutes he calmed down and tapped out. Damian
held out a hand to Marinette to help her to her feet even as she let go of Jason’s wrist.

Everyone bar Damian and Chloé, who was filing a jagged nail, stared at her, stunned. Finally
Dick whispered almost reverently, “Holy shit! Pixie’s got game!” Snorts of suppressed laughter
escaped Marinette and Damian. Chloé rolled her eyes and jabbed Dick in the side with her nail file.
“What? I just saw her take down Jason without throwing a single punch. She was cool as a
cucumber; I half expected her to stab him with those heels she’s wearing!”

Chloé hummed in thought, “Okay I’ll give you that one.”

“Was there something you guys needed?” Marinette crossed her arms and cocked a hip.

Jason got to his feet slowly, trying to keep from losing his temper again. “Yeah, why is
Demon Spawn making moves on you when you’ve got a soul mate in the picture?”

“I meant before you decided to try and grab your brother, Jason,” the sass was strong with
the Tikki’s Chosen.

Dark blue eyes blinked under a shock of white hair. “Uh no not really. It’s just that none of
us could find you guys and then we heard the music in here and came to look.”

Marinette snorted, “And you decided to seriously overreact why?”

“He’s playing you, Sparkplug. He knows you’ve got a soul mate. He once swore he wouldn’t
enter a relationship outside of one with your soulmate. He’s playing you.”

Bluebell eyes narrowed at the same time emerald eyes did. “Is that what you think of me
Todd?” Damian growled.

“And even if it was, why the hell does it matter to you? I’m not your daughter or sister am
I?” Marinette snapped, really not liking the way her bonded was cast as the villain. “Isn’t it
possible that I was playing him?”

Emerald green eyes went from angry to amused in a snap. “As if I’d stop you, meine schatz.”
This time more than just Bruce caught the affectionate moniker he’d used.

“What exactly is going on between you two?” Bruce asked slowly.

The grin Marinette let grow on her face held more than a small amount of mischief; the
scary part was that Damian’s grin matched.

“Funny you should ask, beau-père.” Marinette sassed. Tim, Chloé, Bruce and Dick all
choked on air. Alfred hummed quietly to himself.

“Come now love, you can’t call him that just yet. After all, it isn’t like I’ve proposed
already,” Damian slid an arm around her waist, pulling her back flush against his front.

“Is that so? My mistake.”

 Jason didn’t sound happy, “Okay what the hell is going on here?”

The answer was Damian and Marinette’s joint aura flaring into existence. Stunned silence
filled the room until Tim spoke up, “I did not see that coming but it does explain a few things from
the last few weeks.”

A bit later the entire group had relocated to the family room and Alfred had supplied
everyone with a drink. Marinette and Damian had dropped the act that had kept their bond hidden
and were clearly comfortable together. The two had settled together into an oversized chair,
Damian sitting at an angle in the chair and Marinette comfortably leaning her head back against his
shoulder with her feet over the arm.

“So was any of your story about meeting your soul mate true?” Jason was apparently still
feeling a bit snarky.

“Every single word,” was the easy response. “Why?”

“Where did you meet? And how come we never knew about you before you came to
Gotham?” Dick spoke calmly before Jason could get another word in.

Damian was the one to respond, “We met in Paris. I was with father during one of his
business trips and had permission to explore a bit. We literally crashed into each other and our skin
touched when I caught her arm to prevent her from falling.”

Chloé laughed, “Sounds like Marinette. Not as clumsy as she used to be but still, it was pretty
bad for a while.”

“Why didn’t you tell any of us?”

Marinette felt Damian’s shoulder move under her head as he shrugged, “We didn’t want to
share each other. Neither of us told anyone. Besides, if you’ll remember, I was still learning how to
not be the Heir of the League. Marinette helped with that.”

“You obviously know each other and I know you haven’t been to Paris that many times. I
highly doubt Marinette was ever here. Care to explain that?” Bruce put forth, his fingertips
touching in front of his lips.

“It’s called email, chatting and video calls, pops,” more than one set of eyes bugged out
when Damian said that.

Bruce just barely held back a glare at that. Only the fact that his son’s voice held obvious
humor and affection to match the grin that was on his face stopped him. “It still doesn’t explain
how you’re so comfortable together physically.”

“Well, you see,” Marinette drawled, “we’ve actually been together in person more than
you’d think.” Marinette could see the light flick on for Chloé as she sucked in a sharp breath.

The Bee wielder stared at the Ladybug wielder. “Oh my kwami! Did you? You did, didn’t
you. Holy shit on a pogo stick!” Marinette gave a saucy wink, an unrepentant smirk on her face.

“Care to explain what caused that reaction?”

Marinette hummed, “What do you know of the situation in Paris over the last five years? I
know you’ve been researching it.”
 There were a couple sharp intakes of air but it wasn’t possible to tell which of the
Gothamites it was other than it wasn’t Damian. He played with Marinette’s hair while watching
the others. Bruce’s voice was admittedly sharp when he spoke over Jason’s low growl, “We know
what has been going on. It wasn’t until recently that we did but we know now. We want to help but
at this point we’re not sure how.”

“Not necessary,” Marinette waved a hand dismissively. “The situation has been resolved.”

Chloé choked, “What?”

“I promise I’ll explain but first we need to explain how Damian and I have been spending
time together over the years. And to do that we need to deal with the pesky little thing called secret
identities.” The reactions that statement got were swiftly cut off by Marinette snapping for
everyone trying to be heard to shut up. “Ignoring the brewing panic attacks in the room, Chloé
have you told Tim about your fuzzy friend?” Said panic attacks stopped dead.

“You know?” Tim blurted.

“Of course I do. I’m the one who returned Pollen to her.” Bluebell eyes landed on the only
blonde in the room. “Go ahead Queenie.”

Chloé stood up, moving behind the couch and with a whispered ‘Pollen, buzz on” a yellow
and black blur zipped out of her purse to her wrist and she was enveloped in a brilliant flash of
yellow light. When it faded Chloé stood there in black bodysuit with wide yellow stripes.
Protruding from her back and hanging down toward the floor were wings, similar to a honeybee’s.
Her hair was up in a high ponytail but it was longer than normal reaching the small of her back,
streaming perfectly down between her wings. The bottom third of her hair was black, as was the
domino mask covering the top portion of her face. Her knee-high boots were solid black with a
stiletto heel and there was a spinning top hooked around her waist

Chloé being Chloé, she sauntered around the couch as if she were on a fashion runway.
Reaching over she tapped Jason’s jaw, making him snap his mouth shut. Winking at an equally
flabbergasted Dick, she resettled herself next to Tim. Said man promptly pulled her ponytail over
her shoulder and started playing with it.

After a few minutes of silence Bruce snapped his gaze onto his youngest, “You’re not
surprised Damian.”

“Close your eyes love.” Damian followed Marinette’s instructions without hesitation. “Tikki
spots on.” The light that flashed this time was white. When Marinette was visible again she was in
a red bodysuit, similar to Chloé’s, that had black spots. A yo-yo hung from where it was looped
around her waist. Her boots were like Chloé’s; knee-high, black, and sporting a heel. Her hair was
in twin low buns and her domino mask was red with black spots. Visible against Damian’s shirt and
somewhat pressed against the arm of the chair was a pair of translucent wings like a ladybugs.
Seeing they’d taken in her changed appearance she shrugged, “He already knew.”

“Okay then.” Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do we call you when you’re
transformed?”

“Honeybuzz. Pollen, buzz off.”

“Ladybug. Tikki, spots off.”

To the shock of the unknowing, two small creatures floated in the air in front of the girls.
One looked a bit like a really big bee and the other was red with big (comparatively) black spots.
Marinette introduced them, explaining them and the Miraculouses they inhabited. Tikki made
herself comfortable on Damian’s head while Pollen settled on Chloé’s shoulder.

“So how does this explain how you and Damian were able to get together?” Tim asked.

“Simple. There are way more than two Miraculouses and one of them has the power of
teleportation. I am the Guardian and as such I am responsible for protecting them,” Marinette
shrugged. “I would either come here to see Damian or open a portal for him to pop over and see
me. There were times when I simply had to get out of Paris to avoid being akumatized because my
stronger negative emotions were spiraling and I couldn’t get control enough to avoid an akuma. I’d
use Kaalki’s powers with her blessings to reach Damian if he was alone and not busy or I would
portal to the countryside. I simply could not afford to be compromised. If Hawkmoth had gotten
the Ladybug or Black Cat he could have seriously damaged reality as soon as he got the other.”

“You said earlier the Hawkmoth situation was taken care of?” Bruce asked, extremely
concerned about a villain who could control others.

“He isn’t a problem anymore. Damian did a little detective work for me to follow the leads
I’d uncovered to their ends since he had the better tech and the skills to match. He was able to
pinpoint when I’d be able to get at Hawkmoth and Mayura. Thanks to his plan, with a little input
from me, I took their Miraculouses away from them about a month or so ago.”

Chloé jumped up with a shriek, “You what? You mean we don’t have to worry about those
two menaces anymore?”

“We’re safe from them and they don’t even know it. As Guardian I have the ability to revoke
Miraculous and in the case that the holder is abusing the powers granted to them, I can curse them
so they can never again wield any miraculous. I can also selectively remove memories if the
person in question is deemed an unworthy Miraculous wielder; the mind fills in the gaps naturally
from what I’ve learned. I also didn’t broadcast that they were defeated because I don’t know what
people would do if they suddenly could react like normal human beings again. There would
probably be riots or murders or who knows what,” the Ladybug holder explained.

“Why did you go alone?” Dick asked, retroactively concerned for the risk she had taken.

“The current Black Cat holder has been proving himself to be a poor fit for the Miraculous
he wields. I haven’t removed if from his possession yet because I am hoping it is merely his
father’s influence twisting things up, especially in his civilian life.” Only Damian could detect the
tension running through her body. It helped that he was very aware that she thought Adrien was
going to prove just as unworthy as his father in the long run.

“You know who he is. You know him,” Chloé mused, her mind working through the puzzle
before her eyes flew wide open. “Holy fuck, you mean to tell me Adrien is Chat Noir?” she blurted
out. “Is he a true Cat?”

“Yes. No.”

Dick spoke up at that point, “Wait hold on, you’re losing me. Can you just start at the
beginning and lay it out please? I can’t handle this jumping around anymore; too many shocks in
one day has my brain feeling fried.” The petulant expression on his face brought a smirk to
Damian’s face and he couldn’t help himself.

“You mean you actually have a brain?”

Chapter End Notes

Language Translations: Courtesy of the translator in my Word program and my own

previous knowledge
mein liebe: love (German)
mein schatz: my treasure (German)
(Edit: Thanks for the corrected German usage Rebecahl. I think I got the corrections
right?)
beau-père: father in law (French) (EditL Thanks Alexiessan for the correction.)

Oh.... The move Marinette uses to take Jason to the floor is completely legit. It's a
joint manipulation/lock and it works VERY well. I've seen my husband take a dude
over six inches taller and built like a brick shit-house down in seconds flat with the
move. Including sitting on him like Marinette does to Jason.

FANART! If you are capable and find inspiration in my work, please share! I can't
draw worth a doodle but I love fan art so I am stuck drooling over other peoples' work.
 Chapterr 6
Chapter Summary

In Which: The Gala is attended. Alix steps further onto the scene and brings more than
just her bonded mates. Dancing is done. Sass is thrown. Bruce lets Selina walk right
into it. Jason gets owned...again. Bruce drops a reveal that has Gotham gossips going
bonkers. Lila imitates a fish. Alix and Nino nearly choke after they're clued in when
Marinette decides to be sneaky and troll a few people.

Chapter Notes

Its here...the Gala. Specifically The Wayne Halloween Masquerade Gala happens,
without the pretentious name being mentioned thanks much. (Honestly Bruce, who do
you let NAME these things?)

If you want a little extra punch for the two dances I bring to the screen (so to speak)
then you want to listen to this specific version of Dance of the Damned by Peter
Gundry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2fk4Ia1IZs for the waltz and this
version of When You're Evil by Aurelio Voltaire https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tn2FI-9v_zI for the tango. These are the songs I had in mind and was listening to on
repeat when I wrote most of this chapter. I obviously do NOT own either piece of
music, same as the fact I don't own the two fictional sandboxes I'm playing in.

Language translations at the end.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next three days passed quietly for Marinette. She was excused from classes after the
disaster of Monday. All of her teachers, new and old, and the headmaster had agreed that she had
more than earned her grade for the month so they’d let her out of classes to ‘decompress’ a bit.
Marinette thought part of it was they were scared of both her and Bruce.

It seemed Lila was also a bit scared of Bruce and his lawyers. Bruce had revealed that Lila
had been presented cease and desist papers relating to lying about being in a relationship of any
sort with Damian Wayne or any other member of the Wayne family or she would be slapped with
charges and lawsuits up one end and down the other. That had been done the Monday after Tim
had asked Chloé for a date. Sadly, the girl was still spouting off fantastical stories but they weren’t
about the Wayne’s or the Bat crew. Marinette had a bet with herself as to whether or not the girl
would start that back up after they returned to Paris.

Marinette and Chloé also spent time going over the last five years in Paris, touching on
events of importance ranging from akumas to Lila’s actions and lies. Marinette shared some of the
plan that she and Damian had come up with to take down the Italian twit (Damian’s moniker for
her) before the school year was out. The rest of the group enthusiastically offered their support.

Damian and Marinette had explained more of how they’d met, kept in contact, and some of
what they’d taught each other. No one else needed to know that Damian had made damn sure his
bonded could defend herself as well as he could in just as many ways. Dick had grumbled about
finally recognizing some of the expressions Marinette had displayed during the last couple weeks
that had been agonizingly familiar.

Marinette sassed back, a devious grin on her face, “Hey, I told you I’ve got horns holding up
my halo. Hell, I sometimes use the damn thing as a Frisbee! I’m no angel!” Damian tucked his face
into her neck and snickered wickedly.

The morning of the Gala dawned slowly in Gotham, Marinette waking up next to Damian as
she had every morning since they’d stopped hiding their connection from his family (not that they
weren’t sneaking it past his family anyway.) She was going to miss it when she returned to Paris in
two days. They’d rarely gotten to spend so much time together in one lump. Usually it was only a
few hours every few days at best.

Marinette and Damian enjoyed a quiet morning together hiding in her room. According to
Chloé, she and Tim were hiding in her room down the hall. The plan was for the girls to make an
appearance in the lobby where their classmates could see them. After the deflection was in place,
they would return to Mari’s room to get ready.

When mid-afternoon rolled around, after Tim and Damian left, Chloé and Marinette made
their way down to the lobby. They had dressed in comfortable clothes, hinting visually at a night
in. As they had arranged, the front desk had informed them when their class had left for a late
lunch so the two had an idea when their class would be back. It certainly helped that the hotel staff
liked the pair.

They timed it perfectly. Just as they were getting settled into a pair of chairs, their class came
chattering through the doors. They were not quiet. “They make enough noise I wouldn’t be
shocked if they woke the dead,” Marinette spoke sotto voce. Chloé just barely held back a snort of
laughter.

Rose was the one to spot them. Clearly excited, the girl almost bounced over to the pair,
apparently not caring that they were the class pariahs. “Chloé! Marinette. Why didn’t you come
with us to eat?” Naturally, this exuberant acknowledgement of the duo drew the attention of the
rest of their classmates.

Chloé tipped her head back to look up at the rocker, “We’re waiting on pizza actually.”

“You haven’t eaten yet? You won’t have time to get ready!” the smaller blonde exclaimed.

Marinette sighed, crossing her arms. “I didn’t bring a dress for the Gala with me.”

“What about the one you were making for your project? Rumor at the school was that you
were going to wear that,” Alix spoke up, glancing at Lila from the corner of her eye. Interesting,
she knows something, Marinette thought to herself.

Chloé handled this one, “It got trashed so badly there was no way to recover it.” Lila didn’t
have the poker face she thought she did if she was trying to hide the satisfaction on her face.

“You mean you can’t go?” Rose asked, aghast that anyone would miss the Gala. It was
supposed to the highlight of their trip.

Marinette shrugged, “I didn’t have anything at home to bring with me. My graded project
was trashed. What am I supposed to do? Show up in my jeans?” Not that she would; that’s why
she’d made herself a gown. Of course, none of them knew that.

Alya turned hazel eyes to Chloé, “What about you? I know you’ve got something you could
have brought. Daddy’s pocketbook is pretty deep according to your bragging over the years.”

“I brought something but I think I’m going to hang out with Marinette for the night. I might
meet up with Tim at some point too,” Chloé’s answer was nonchalant. Alya’s expression wasn’t.
She looked incredibly pleased. Marinette barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes, idiot.

Miss Bustier came over, “Okay class, time to go get ready. We’ll meet down here at seven-
o-clock so we can get to the venue by eight.” The redheaded teacher didn’t even acknowledge the
two seated young women, Mr. Marchand was too busy eyeing Miss Bustier’s rump to bother with
anything else.

“Ugh, that man is a sleaze,” Chloé muttered as she watched everyone get into elevators.

Marinette snickered, “He’s been panting after her for a couple years. Did you know they’re
sharing a suite?”

“No!”

“Oh yes. Damian made a crack about them hooking up while we’re here and I’m beginning
to think he might be right. I may have to ask Bruce if we can check the security footage to see if
they’re doing anything naughty in public places. It would be another nail in the bitch’s coffin;
getting Marchand in trouble would be a bonus,” Marinette mused.

“Wow, you really don’t like her do you?” Chloé looked at her.

The designer snorted, “After the shit she’s done and allowed done to me over the last few
years? No. I legitimately got the teachers that hurt me here ruined. What makes you think I’ll do
anything less to the one who’s done more and worse?”

“Good point.”

Once the pair left the lobby for Marinette’s room to get ready, the time passed swiftly.
Knowing it would help their ‘night in’ cover, they kept checking out the balcony to see if they
could catch their class leaving. They got lucky and Chloé happened to see the bus drive up.
Carefully covering their done-up hair with towels, they stepped out onto the balcony and watched.
With a wicked smirk, Chloé let out a whistle to catch their attention. When the majority of their
classmates looked up, they spotted the two waving from fifteen stories up. At that distance they
could just barely make out the towel turbans.

They watched the bus drive off and stepped back inside, laughing. They’d pulled it off if the
text Chloé got from Alix was a clue. ~The girls say to enjoy your mini-spa day.~ Knowing Alfred
would be there soon with Tim and Damian, they hurried to finish getting ready.

After Chloé and Tim bonded, the four had decided to go with a group theme. Cats. Two
black cats, a black and white cat, and a white cat specifically. Tim wasn’t able to get a white suit
that looked decent in time to match Chloé but the compromise that had been pulled together would
work well.

The dress Marinette had created for Chloé was a gorgeous white satin piece. It had a
strapless sweetheart neckline and fitted bodice before flowing into a floor length skirt that was
semi-fitted but allowed easy movement. Her accessories were a matching bolero jacket with three-
quarter length sleeves and a full hood and a satin masquerade cat mask that went from her nose up
just past her hairline. Her hair was twisted up into a simple chignon and hidden by the hood. The
silver shoes she’d worn out dancing, her Bee bracelet (a simple silver band when in disguise), and
a simple white satin choker were her only accessories.

Marinette’s black gown was just as stunning. It had the same neckline and bodice style but
her satin skirt only went to her ankles and had a slit that went to mid-thigh, cleverly hidden when
she wasn’t walking. Unlike Chloé’s, Marinette’s skirt was a full circle so it would allow a large
range of movement when dancing. Her bolero jacket was similar to Chloé’s with the difference
being the full-length sleeves. The black cat mask she made herself was a deceptively simple
domino mask that went up to her hairline. When she turned her head the light sparkled off of tiny
black beads that were otherwise invisible. Like Chloé, Marinette’s accessories were simple; a black
satin choker, and the black heels she’d worn during the presentation at the beginning of the week.
Her hair twisted up into a bun that sat low against her head, completely hiding it from view when
she had the hood up and mask on.

They were going to bowl people over when they saw them.

“Wow. Mari I think you’ve outdone yourself with these,” Chloé said almost reverently.
“This is stunning when all the pieces are put together.”

Marinette hummed, “The cat ears are removable so you can use the shrug again with the
dress.”

“You think of everything don’t you?” Chloé eyed her friend.

“Not everything but when it comes to design yes I do. Did you find the pockets?”

Ocean blue eyes blinked, “Pockets? You put pockets in this dress? I’m tempted to say screw
the guys and marry you myself!”

Laughter bubbled out through lips painted with a deep red lipstick, “Sorry Chloé but I’ve
been taken for over six years. Don’t worry, I’ll still make you clothes.” After showing Chloé where
the pockets were, they made sure their phones, identification, and room keys were tucked safely
into them. Pollen and Tikki slipped into their hoods and settled in at the backs of their necks, as
excited as their Chosen. The hoods were affixed to their masks so there was no danger of them
falling back and exposing the two kwami. Linking arms, the pair made their way down to the
lobby where Tim and Damian were waiting. Marinette also made sure she grabbed the matching
masks, complete with cat ears, she’d made for their dates.

In the lobby Damian was enjoying watching Tim fidget. Marinette had dictated what they
were to wear in order to match their dates and as far as Damian was concerned she’d done a good
job at making them looked good. Both were in suits but they still looked drastically different. Tim
was wearing a white jacket and dress shirt with black pants and shoes. The tie Marinette had given
him was made from the same fabric as Chloé’s dress and he wore his hair slicked back so it
wouldn’t get in the way of the mask Marinette was providing.

Damian was wearing all black, including his deliberately undone bow tie which neatly
framed the undone top button of his shirt. His bonded had cleverly sewn two buttonholes into the
tie’s band to allow it to hang without falling off. His hair, for once not slicked back, was slightly
messy despite being pushed away from his forehead. When he’d been getting ready he’d had the
thought that it looked like Marinette had been running her fingers through it as she liked to do
when they were being intimate.

The elevator dinged and both men looked. Tim, yet again, choked on air. He’s going to hurt
himself doing that one of these days, Damian thought randomly to himself as he took in the vision
that his bonded was as she approached.

Taking her hand in his, he pulled her to him. “You’re exquisite tonight, beloved,” he
whispered in Arabic before capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

“You’re pretty damn good looking yourself, my love,” Marinette said in French once they’d
separated.

Turning to Chloé and Tim, they were faced with Tim’s perplexed expression. “Did you two
just speak to each other in different languages?”

”Hai,” Marinette answered in Japanese. Whether or not Tim actually knew what she’d said
was irrelevant. Laughing happily, she slipped her hand into Damian’s elbow and they made their
way to where Alfred waited. They were quickly settled into the car and pulling away. Amid the
small talk as they rode, Marinette handed over the masks to be slipped on.

“Remember, try not to address us by our names. The class thinks we’re back at the hotel. I’d
like to avoid any drama from a few of them if we can,” Marinette reminded the other three as
Alfred pulled up to the front of the venue where the Gala was taking place.

Tim got out first, turning to help Chloé, both slipping into the polished persona of those of
the elite, cameras flashing to get shots of the couple. Tim Drake was one of the most eligible
bachelors in the city and this was the first time in a few years he’d brought a date to a Gala. When
Damian stepped out he was his usual cold self, the Ice Prince of Gotham. When he turned and
offered his hand to Marinette, the photographers realized the elusive man had a date. He never had
a date. The camera flashes went absolutely crazy as they each tried to get the best shot of the
beauty who joined him. Before they even got to the door she’d been dubbed the Ice Princess; her
demeanor matched his perfectly.

Once inside the doors, they swiftly made their way across the atrium to the double doors of
the large ballroom. The room was busy but not overly full. Small round tables took up space along
the long sides of the room while directly across from the door stood a surprisingly classy DJ setup
minus the colorful lights and large speakers. Glancing around Marinette spotted speakers scattered
throughout the entire room, explaining why the DJ setup was so minimalist. The hardware was
already in place.

As they stepped to the side to go around the dance floor area, Marinette spotted their
classmates tucked into a corner. Most of them looked rather nervous and rather out of place. Out of
the guys, Adrien was the only one who looked relaxed. The girls looked nervous but most of them
looked lovely in their outfits. Alya and Lila could probably have chosen better, although if they
liked what they had then Marinette figured the rest of it didn’t matter. Still, yikes.

“Queenie,” Marinette pitched her voice to be heard by her party. “Back corner by the door. Is
it me or does Alya look like she is imitating a puffball?”

Chloé nonchalantly looked around, “Oh kwami, where did she find that monstrosity?” She
paused, “is Lila wearing a sausage casing? How can she even move in that getup?” Alya was
wearing a burnt orange ballgown with a full tulle skirt while Lila had chosen a soft umber colored
mermaid silhouette gown that was rather snug from neckline to just above her knees.

Barely choking back laughter, Marinette answered, “I have no idea. I think, honestly, that
they both could have picked better. And done their hair. They didn’t change a damn thing!
Honestly.”
 “Ridiculous! Makes me damn glad we didn’t come with them. Of course, that would have
made us look that much better. Although Alix looks pretty sharp in her pantsuit.” Marinette had to
agree with Chloé as the four of them decided on a table near the middle of dance floor’s length to
claim as theirs for the evening.

The ambient music that had been playing softly in the background ended and louder music
that could be danced to started playing over the speakers. The DJ had apparently decided to start
off with a simpler option for those who wanted to dance. It was a moderately paced waltz.

“Tim?” Chloé looked up at him, a hopeful expression on her face. He gladly led her out onto
the floor, delighted that she’d clearly learned the steps and was eager to dance with him.

Marinette sighed, leaning her head on Damian’s shoulder, perfectly content to sit out this
one. She liked the waltz in general but she preferred the more complex waltz variations and this
song fit none of them. They watched as the song ended and Tim escorted Chloé back over to where
they sat. Before any of them could speak, the next song (a darker waltz) started and Damian turned
to Marinette and bowed, holding his hand out to her.

She gladly put her hand in his and he whirled her out onto the floor. With ease he kept them
moving smoothly across the floor, never running into other dancers. At one point during a slower
part of the song they were in front of the tables where Marinette’s class had settled. They stepped
in place for a few minutes before Damian followed the music and twirled them away, Marinette’s
skirt flaring enough to show her leg through the slit.

Kim let out a low whistle from where he was watching with his two bonded. “Those two are
some damn good dancers.” He didn’t dance himself but his parents had been competitive dancers
before he had been born. “Their control is amazing. Not even my parents can do that without
bobbing a bit anymore.”

“Really? I was more focused on that dress. It’s amazing,” Alix said. “Something about it is
very familiar but I can’t figure out what.”

Nino chuckled, “I would put money down that I know who the designer is but I’m not sure
how she would have gotten the dress to the clients. The gal in white that I saw them with earlier is
wearing a dress that looks like it belongs in a set with that black one.”

“You know something,” Alix accused. “Excellent! More people to pull into play!”

“Nathaniel clued me in. He commented that the one in white looked familiar but couldn’t
figure out how,” the DJ shrugged. Alix stared at him intently before a sly grin curled the corners of
her lips up.

“I think it’s time you two joined in on our plans. We’ll talk deets later but I’ll say this: keep it
on the down low. None of us want to get the attention of a certain girl and her attack dog.”

Nathaniel snorted, causing some of his soda to come out his nose, “Alix! Don’t say stuff like
that!” Max mumbled that there was no stopping her but he was ignored by his girlfriend.

“Whatever. Now, are you two in or not?” Alix asked. The two boys answered that they were
and the five were soon swept into a conversation that was riddled with extra meanings.

Meanwhile, the song ended and the waltzing black cats moved to where his father stood. As
they approached, they could see Bruce’s bemused expression. “You two enjoy yourselves out
there?” He raised an eyebrow, “I wasn’t aware that your dancing skills were so advanced Damian.”
 Marinette snorted, “You haven’t seen anything yet, beau-père.”

“Oh?”

She hummed an affirmative before saying, “The waltz is not a favorite. We like it but it isn’t
among our favorites.” Before Bruce could ask for more information Damian pulled her away. His
father tried to figure out where they were going but he lost sight of them quickly. Those two are
quite the pair, he thought before turning toward the man approaching him.

Damian was just sliding Marinette’s chair in as she sat when the music cut out and a
spotlight landed on Bruce up next to the DJ. “Good evening! Thank you everyone for coming out
this evening! I know this is a masquerade but I figured I would skip on the mask since I’m not
really one for costumes,” Bruce joked, causing the crowd to chuckle. Off to the side Damian
spotted Dick and Jason shaking their heads, masks solidly in place. Jason’s conveniently and
effectively hid the shock of white hair he was known for.

“I just have a few announcements before things fully kick off. First, it is my pleasure to
announce that one of the classes who earned a slot in the Wayne Enterprises’ Educational Jump
Start program is attending the Gala this evening.” Marinette glanced toward where she had last
seen her class. Sure enough, Lila was preening under the quiet praises of a number of classmates.
“The winning application, which is up on the program’s webpage, highlighted the class’s many
accomplishments in the city of Paris as well as many of their own creative endeavors. None more
so than the young lady who put it together, Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She didn’t include her
solo endeavors, preferring to focus on her classmates, but she herself is an up and coming business
owner making waves in her chosen field among other things.” The crowd clapped. Marinette
turned red and turned her face into Damian’s shoulder. Chloé spotted Lila gaping like a landed
fish. “On the whole, that class is very well accomplished and it shows. It was a pleasure to have
them interning at Wayne Enterprises for the last four weeks.”

Bruce paused to sip from his glass, “My second announcement is of a more personal nature
and it is one that brings me great joy. My second youngest son had the great fortune to meet his
soul mate earlier this month and their bond was activated. Additionally,” he said, stopping the
crowd’s reaction. “My youngest son introduced us to his own bonded soul mate earlier this week.”
The crowd went nuts. Two of the Wayne sons were bonded! This was huge news and they were the
first ones to hear it; even before the papers and tabloids. Marinette was watching Lila from the
corner of her eye. The girl was definitely plotting and if the way Alya was gushing over her was
any clue, things were going to be interesting when they got back to Paris. And annoying. Thank
goodness she’d have Chloé in her corner. It would help mitigate some of it. Bruce wished everyone
a good time and returned the microphone to the DJ.

The music started back up and people returned to what they’d been doing. Except for Dick
and Jason. During Bruce’s speech they’d finally clapped eyes on their younger brothers and future
sisters-in-law. The two were swiftly at the table in question.

“Demon Spawn, you’re a cat,” Jason blinked.

Damian shrugged, perfectly at ease with Marinette leaning against him. “So is Drake. So are
the girls. What’s your point?”

“Eh?” Jason clearly didn’t expect Damian to be so mellow. “Never mind. Sparkplug, can I
steal you for a dance?”

“You can’t steal me but I’ll still take a spin around the floor with you.”
 “Excellent!” Jason confidently led her out onto the floor as a new song started. When it was
over Marinette led the way back to the table and leaned down to Damian. Chloé didn’t catch what
she whispered but the impish little grin on her lips when she stood back up was well matched by
the devious smirk on Damian’s face.

He didn’t say a word as he stood and disappeared. Marinette glanced at Jason, “Sit down.
You need schooling.” Jason predictably opened his mouth to argue and she speared him with a
look. The two brothers still at the table were highly amused when he sat as instructed.

Marinette caught Chloé’s eye and sent a flash quick wink before sauntering away along the
edge of the dance floor. Her trajectory took her toward their class. She was more than a little
delighted when she saw some of them noticing her approach. Alix was still with the four boys
she’d seen her with earlier. Deliberately meeting the pink haired girl’s eyes, Marinette tossed her a
wink as she continued past.

Alix almost did a spit take as she figured out just who was walking by. Ignoring her
companions, she watched Marinette walk by and stop near where Lila was holding court, the rest
of the class clustered around her in between some of them timidly dancing at the edge of the floor.
Lila boldly stepped up to her, asking her about her dress. When the black cat responded that it was
a custom-made dress done by MDC, Nino almost did a spit take, recognizing her voice. Of course
she’d be wearing her own work, there’s no way she’d miss this, he couldn’t help thinking. The
Italian girl went back to her friends and after a couple minutes Marinette started walking slowly
back in the direction she’d come from. Again meeting Alix’s gaze, Marinette let the corner of her
lips quirk up into a smirk before turning her attention to the dance floor.

Chloé and the three Wayne boys with her watched her progress. Alix’s aborted spit take was
hilarious, Nino’s was even funnier, and the sly expression that slipped across Alix’s face told her
Marinette had somehow let those two know who she was. Alix stood up and looked around until
she locked eyes with Chloé, who winked as well. Alix started laughing and sat back down, pulling
the four boys around her into a huddle. Their heads whipping back and forth between her and
Marinette was hilarious. The skater quickly got them under control so they didn’t blow any covers
but Chloé was dead certain that they would have more allies once back in Paris.

The music that had been playing finished and nothing new started up. The dancing couples
on the floor thinned out. Once the majority of the floor was cleared it was possible to see both
Marinette and Damian moving to meet in the middle. Just as they met the room heard a single
violin that sounded forlorn and dark before the lyrics started, spoken instead of song. Marinette
stepped into Damian’s arms and when the music changed to a heavy beat they moved.

They were doing a tango. As they moved to the dramatic beat, the lyrics, sung by a male,
talked about being evil. Damian oozed a dark, debonair charm as he led Marinette through quick
foot work intermixed with dramatic pauses and slower movements that seemed to drag the music
with them. Marinette burned with confidence and allure, dark and mysterious. A few of the faster
spins and higher kicks he led her in caused her skirt to flare, allowing slit to put her leg on
tantalizing display. Toward the end of the song he dropped his hand from her back and spun her
sharply a couple times before catching her as the music paused; for the length of half a line they
were frozen before moving again. The final line of music ended with them in a hold position, left
legs bent in a low crouch with their right legs out behind them.

The attendees went absolutely bonkers with their applause.

Damian ignored them and pulled Marinette to him, whispering something in her ear, his lips
hidden by her hood. Both continued to ignore the people around them as they moved back to where
Chloé and the others were sitting in mild shock. Daintily retaking her seat, Marinette leaned her
elbow on the table and rested her chin daintily on the back of her hand, eyes locked on Jason.

“Still think you’ve got what it takes to give either of us pointers?” her bluebell eyes were
sparkling merrily.

Jason spluttered a bit before laughing and admitting he’d been outwitted. Bruce and his
hitherto absent wife walked up at that point. Selina Wayne had been out of town on business for
the last two months and thus hadn’t gotten to meet the young ladies who bonded with her stepsons.

“Bruce told me what’s been going on. I must say it is nice to meet you two ladies. I need
some more estrogen around to help balance their overabundance of testosterone,” the tall woman
said, eyes sparkling.

“Nice to meet you too Selina. I’ve been hearing stories about you for years,” Marinette
grinned.

Selina raised an eyebrow, “Is that so? Did he tell you what he called me when I first started
dating Bruce?” Marinette laughed and confirmed he had. It had spawned an entire string of inside
jokes between the two of them over the years. “Well then. I have been meaning to ask, where did
you two get your dresses? They’re stunning.”

“They’re custom made. MDC was kind enough to make both of our outfits as well as all four
masks after we arrived in Gotham,” Chloé answered.

“How did you arrange that? MDC’s reclusion is notorious at this point.”

Marinette shrugged, “I have an in.”

Apparently Bruce hadn’t clued his wife in yet. “Mind if I ask what it is? I would love to get a
gown made.”

“How about you get me your measurements and we can discuss what you want before I
sketch something up? I would offer to come take them myself but I’m afraid I don’t have any extra
time tomorrow since we leave Sunday morning.” Marinette said, mischief glittering in her eyes and
curling her lips up.

Selina stared at her before turning to glare at Bruce. “You ass! You let me walk into that!”

“It isn’t so bad,” Marinette saved Bruce. “When the others found out Tim was practically
clotheslined by it.” The entire table burst into laughter except Tim who turned bright red and
grumbled something under his breath.

Chloé’s phone buzzed against her leg and she opened it up to find a picture of Lila, her
expression showing the landed fish expression Chloé had spotted. A second photo flowed into the
text chat; this time of Lila looking like she was a breath away from a temper tantrum of epic
proportions. The text that followed the photos explained that they had been taken when Mr. Wayne
had announced that Marinette was the one who’d been responsible for the class earning the spot,
not Lila.

Chloé chortled, “Oh I really do believe Alix needs a prize or something. Take a look.” She
handed her phone to Marinette who promptly burst into laughter.
Chapter End Notes

Language translations:
hai: yes (Japanese (in Romaji form))
beau-père: father-in-law (French)
 Chapter 7
Chapter Summary

In Which: The class returns to Paris. Lila strikes again. Tim learns he can't troll
Damian as well as Marinette can troll him in return. Bustier climbs herself right into
the box Marinette is gathering nails for. Marinette lets her scary badass side out to play
a little bit. Chat Noir gets his ass handed to him after going too far. Adrien starts some
creepy shit that Nino overhears and Chloe doesn't like. Marinette has a couple of really
bad evenings. Alix provides a little insight to her previous actions.

Chapter Notes

Ah...more tropes. They're kinda fun aren't they? Especially when you're trying to find
new ways to write them up.

WARNING WARNING WARNING: This chapter has a couple of scenes that are
possible TRIGGERS for people. The first is an assault with the intent of sexual actions
to follow, the second is a descriptively vague creep factor observed/heard by another.
You'll hopefully see them coming if I wrote them the way I think I did but in case I
didn't: First scene has Chat in it, second is in a video sent to Chloe by Nino. If you end
up skipping them and want a summery, check out the end notes. I'll put one there.

No language translations this chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The Parisian class spent the day after the Gala, Saturday, packing and prepping for their
return trip home. Their flight was on Sunday morning and Monday was a day off from school for
one reason or another so they’d have an extra day to settle back in. Most of the class was running
around their rooms gathering belongings or wandering the hotel taking advantage of the amenities
one last time.

Marinette was holed up in her room with Damian. They’d returned the night before after the
Gala. While they had been riding back to the hotel, Chloé had gotten a text from Alix ~We’re back.
Lobby is clear, they scurried when we got here.~ Thanks to Alix’s tip they’d been able to get into
an elevator and up to their floor without running into anyone. Chloé and Tim had disappeared into
her room, Chloé ordering that they not to be disturbed until the next afternoon for anything short of
Lila’s lies being publicly exposed or the building going up in smoke. Marinette cried ‘ditto!’

Her packing didn’t take long, she’d kept her things well organized over the last month. She
efficiently got her things packed up, except what she’d need for the rest of the day and the next
morning. Sighing, Marinette turned to where Damian was lounging on the monster sized bed,
watching her moved around.

“I don’t want to go,” she pouted, threading her fingers through her hair. She was feeling
rather despondent and she didn’t like it.
 “I don’t want you to either but you have to,” he sat up, feet falling off the side of the bed to
rest on the floor. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand gently and pulled her so she was standing
between his knees.

Marinette sighed and looked at their joined hands, “Sometimes I wonder if staying in Paris
until I’ve ruined them is worth it. Is it really worth putting up with them to get some sort of revenge
when I could be here with you? I could just slip out of their lives without them ever knowing I’m
gone.”

Keeping a gentle grip on her hand, Damian placed his other hand against her cheek. She
responded by leaning into his touch. “Your goal isn’t simply revenge, love; it never was. You
always wanted to protect others more than getting petty revenge, no matter how much it might feel
like it at times. What about when Lila finds another target? She’s not going to stop doing this;
she’s been pulling this shit for too long to stop. You have the knowledge and proof to finally shut
her down. It’s the same with Bustier; the woman shouldn’t be teaching. How many students has
she hurt with her passive aggressive bullshit? And don’t get me started on that fuckwad headmaster
who tried to expel you without proof.”

Marinette let out a laugh that sounded just a little watery. He didn’t like that. He hated it
when she was upset enough to cry. “At least one of us thinks I can do this, because I’m not totally
sure I can.”

“Hey enough of that,” he threaded his fingers into her hair, his fingertips resting at the base
of her skull and his thumb tracing along her cheek. “You can do any damn thing you put your mind
to. Hell, I have zero doubt that if you wanted to you could raise my bitch mother from the dead so
you could kill her, just to get back at her for the shit she put me through before we met.” He pulled
her toward him gently, foreheads touching and eyes meeting. “You’re one of the strongest people
I’ve ever met and you’ve got this. Besides, you’re not alone and you’ve got more allies than you
previously thought if last night is a hint.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose before letting it out slowly.
Opening her eyes she gave him a small but genuine smile, “You’re amazing you know that right?
Whenever I start to doubt myself or what I can do you manage to make me remember just what I’m
capable of.”

“Right back at you, babe.” He slid an arm around her waist and let a decidedly rakish grin
bloom on his face, “Now come here. We have a few hours before we need to meet Chloé and
Drake for supper and I fully intend to scramble your brains.” The laugh she let float in the air was
soon interrupted by a breathless gasp as his lips found a particular spot on her neck.

Meeting Chloé and Tim in the hallway a while later was hilarious. Tim and Chloé were both
blushing and giggly. Damian and Marinette were significantly more composed and put together

“Nice hickey Little D,” Tim grinned. Damian raised an eyebrow, clearly uncaring that his
brother was trying to troll him.

“Your shirt is inside out Tim,” Marinette smirked. Chloé blushed to the roots of her hair and
Tim coughed even as he fixed his shirt.

None of them were able to keep from laughing. Marinette and Chloé linked arms, heads
together as they whispered and occasionally glancing back at their following partners. Luck let
them get out of the hotel without running into any classmates or teachers. They opted for pizza and
spent an hour or two coming up with ways to mess with other people, particularly the rest of the
Wayne family and the Parisian class.
 “You know,” Marinette mused at one point, “If we ever wanted to, I bet the four of us could
take over the world and not even the various superheroes would be able to do anything about it.”

Chloé let out a cackle, “Oh! Tim and I could be PR and you two could be the scary as hell
enforcers!”

Marinette pouted, “I get why you’d want Damian but I’m nowhere near his level.”

Damian snickered, “Don’t sell yourself short Bluebell. You’re the one who scared the hell
out of all but a couple of your classmates without looking at most of them or even saying a single
word.”

“What’s this? You didn’t tell me this Mari! Spill, spill!” Marinette told her of the day she’d
decided she was done caring about most of their classmates. When she finished, the only blonde of
the group shook her head, “Mari, darling, you’ve got it wrong. You’re flat-out dangerous. Possibly
more dangerous than your demon here.”

“Hey now, I’m keeping my horns camouflaged for the time being thank you very much!”
Marinette sassed, causing Chloé to cackle in delight. Damian pulled Marinette in for a quick kiss,
clearly getting a kick out of the whole idea of the two of them being terrifying.

Getting back into the hotel ended up being a gamble; Lila and Alya had been in the lobby
talking to one of the concierge desk attendants when the quartet had arrived. Luck was with them
because the attendant at the concierge desk kept their attention on him long enough that the group
was able to slip by unspotted. Marinette and Damian were soon back in her room, fully intending
on not leaving again until Marinette had to join her class in the lobby around six in the morning.

*****

Shockingly the class returned to Paris with only one issue: Lila had somehow managed to
convince the majority of the class as well as the teachers that they needed to leave the hotel at five-
thirty am instead of six. So, naturally they left without Chloé and Marinette. Not that it mattered to
the two young women in question. They’d rolled their eyes and accepted Tim’s offer to have Alfred
take them to the airport since he was there to pick up Damian and Tim anyway. As if they’d give
up the chance to delay parting from their individual bonded.

They’d actually beaten their class there thanks to some Alfred magic, with enough time to
get their bags checked and get almost through security before the bus even pulled up outside.
Chloé had gotten a text just before the bus left and the blonde had snapped up the chance to add
another nail in Bustier’s coffin. She’d instructed Alix (along with Max, Kim, Nino, and Nathaniel)
to not say anything about where Marinette and Chloé were or weren’t. The Bee chosen had also
assured the pink haired skater that the two of them had a reliable ride to the airport and that they’d
see them later.

So it had gone. The best part, both female Miraculous holders agreed, was when they’d
walked up when the boarding attendant had called for first class to board. Not only were they
relaxed and clearly there, they were holding shopping bags showing they hadn’t been in a rush.
Marinette had spotted Alix trying to stuff her hand into her mouth to keep from laughing at the
expression on the faces of Alya and Lila.

One morning a couple of weeks after they’d returned home, Marinette sauntered into the
classroom carrying a small box from the bakery. Taking her seat next to Chloé, who had moved
back a row to sit with her, she slid the box toward her.
 “Breakfast!” she chirped, accepting the small to-go cup of cocoa the blonde handed her. The
two were just finishing their croissants and drinks when their classmates started coming into the
room. Alix, Kim, and Max ran in ahead of Lila and Alya while Nino and Nathaniel slipped in
quietly behind them. The rest were clustered around Lila and her tale of the morning. It boggled
Marinette’s brain that Lila had somehow wiggled out of the spot she’d been put in at the gala in
Gotham. Next time she wasn’t going to get out of it if Marinette had anything to say about it. And
she did.

Adrien, currently in the grasp of Lila, spotted the bakery box in front of the two seated
students. “You brought breakfast?” his voice was innocent but Marinette could read the
undercurrents hidden deep in his eyes. The boy was seriously starting to slip if his greed and
selfishness was showing. He’d seemed so nice the first year or two but since Lila had shown up,
Marinette had started to notice some inconsistencies. Once she’d figured out he was Chat Noir
quite a few things made sense.

The boy was an entitled little brat who thought he could do no wrong. The only thing she
wasn’t completely sure about was whether or not it was because his father was twisting him up or
if it was genuinely his own personality showing. Marinette was leaning toward the later and that
concerned her. There was no way she could let him keep the Black Cat Miraculous if that was the
case.

Rose picked up on the hint that Adrien had tossed out. The blonde rocker let out a little
squeal and scurried up the steps to grab the box without so much as a glance at Marinette. Not
bothering to say a word, Marinette sat back and crossed her arms waiting for the reaction.

“It’s empty!” Rose exclaimed in disappointment.

Alya scoffed, “You’re such a greedy pig, Dupain-Cheng. Honestly, one of these days you’re
going to eat your parents right out of business.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow, “One, I brought exactly two croissants: one for myself and one
for Chloé. That box won’t hold more than that.”

Alya interrupted before she could continue, “You’re such a selfish bitch! Why bring it to
school if you’re not going to share?” Lila let out a tiny little sniffle and mumbled something about
missing breakfast. The blogger puffed up in anger, “See?” Okay that made no sense; same as
expecting Marinette to provide food unasked.

Chloé glanced at Marinette and recognized the same expression she’d worn when she ripped
into the Gotham Academy teachers who she’d gotten removed from teaching. These two are fucked
and they don’t even know it yet. Glorious!

Marinette was pissed. Slowly leaning forward to put her elbow on the desk and her chin
gently on the back of her hand she watched Lila’s court awkwardly shift in place the longer she
looked at them. “Tell me,” her voice was soft, gentle. “When did I agree that the breakfast I
brought for myself and my closest friend would be shared amongst the sycophants I see before
me?”

Alya spluttered, “What the hell are you talking about? Everyone knows you bring baked
goods to try and look better!”

“Oh? When was the last time I did that?” her voice was still soft. Alya opened her mouth to
answer before closing it again, clearly perplexed, and unable to find the answer. Cold bluebell eyes
shifted to Lila, who was decidedly feeling like a bug under a scope, “Do you have the answer for
her Miss Rossi?” The Italian shook her head mutely.

Marinette nodded sagely as she slowly stood and stepped around Rose. Her steps were silent,
her movements almost eerie as she gracefully moved down to stand in front of Alya and Lila. Her
voice was still soft but the cold disdain it held was clear. “I rather thought that was the case. To
answer the question for you, the last time I brought anything from the bakery for the class to share
was about two months after Miss Rossi returned. Since I doubt you can successfully do the math,
that was four years ago. Now, I strongly suggest you refrain from accusing me of things you’re not
fully educated about. It would work better for you don’t you think?” Marinette’s eyes glittered as
she stared them both down, “Now, sit down!”

They sat. Behind her, Marinette heard someone (probably Chloé or Alix) make a small
‘woof-woof’ sound. A patronizing smirk settled on her face as the designer said, “Good girls.”

As she turned to make her way back to her seat Miss Bustier walked into the room. Lila went
on the offensive; crocodile tears making their way down her face. Alya wrapped an arm around the
girl and Miss Bustier immediately hurried over to see if she could help comfort the girl. The rest of
the class took their seats and soon Lila was calmed down.

“Marinette I am getting tired of you constantly badgering Lila! You’re meant to be a leader
and example for your classmates. One more instance of acting out today and I’m sending you to the
office. Do you hear me young lady?” the slender redhead tried glaring at her top student.

“What is it I am accused of this time?”

“It doesn’t matter!”

The class watched as Marinette stared at their teacher, gazes locked together. Chloé spotted
Miss Bustier’s hands shaking ever so slightly before she clasped them together. Did Damian teach
her how to do that or was it natural talent? Because Chloé was scary when riled but Marinette was
terrifying. Marinette smiled and turned to the Bee next to her, “Chloé? Do you want your father in
on it?”

“They can get in touch with him. I’ve already given daddy a heads up.”

The class stared as Marinette pulled out her phone in class and made a call. No one in the
room could understand a word she said and they gawked further when she let out a laugh that
raised the hair on the back of a few peoples necks. They watched as she clearly said goodbye and
disconnected. Completely ignoring everyone she pulled out her sketchbook and a pencil.

“DC, what language was that?”

“Persian.”

Chloé blinked, “How damn many language do you know?”

“Um,” Marinette looked at the blonde, clearly counting them up in her head. “I’m currently
working languages ten and eleven.”

Down in the front Lila scoffed and grumbled something in Italian. Without pause, Marinette
responded flawlessly in the same language, “I heard that you little cunt. Unlike you, I have the
goods to back up what I’m saying.” Lila whipped her head around, stunned at being called out in
her first language. Seeing Marinette’s gaze fixed on her, she turned back to face the front, not
ready to be the focus of that lethal gaze a second time in just minutes.
 The two at the back looked at each other, snickering quietly. Marinette wrote out what had
been said, both by her in Persian and her and Lila in Italian. After scribbling it out to prevent others
reading it, the two spent the rest of the class ignoring Miss Bustier and scribbling notes to each
other as they made plans.

It was just before lunch when the fan was hit.

The class was working through worksheets when a knock came at the door. Before Miss
Bustier could do more than look up the door opened and an angry woman in a sharp business suit
stepped into the room. She spoke to Miss Bustier in a voice too quiet to overhear but the redheaded
teacher nodded and sat down to straighten her desk up. The unknown woman turned to the
students.

“Classes for the rest of the day have been canceled due to a situation here at the school that
needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Your parents have been notified of this and are expecting
you to either return home or contact them. If classes are further canceled, there will be an
announcement pertaining to it.”

The unknown woman silently watched the class pack up their belongings and file out of the
room. Marinette and Chloé were the last to leave their seats. “Miss Bourgeois, Miss Dupain-Cheng.
We were unaware of certain events that happened in Gotham and what has been happening here at
François-Dupont. You have our apologies. Please know that we will do what is in our power to
correct the problems that have been rife in this classroom.”

Miss Bustier jerked and snapped her head around to glare at Marinette. The girl, who had
seen the movement and turned to look, simply met her eyes with a raised eyebrow before looking
at the unnamed woman. “Thank you. If you need to contact me, please do. I may have some
information you don’t already have.”

Marinette left the classroom, Chloé on her heels. A quick stop by their lockers and they were
out the door, dodging their gossiping classmates by taking the door Marinette usually took at the
end of the day. Silence filled the walk to Marinette’s room in the apartment above the bakery.

Once inside the room and with the door shut they let the laughter they’d been choking back
burst free. Marinette flopped into her computer chair, tears rolling down her face. “Oh kwami! D-
did you see her expression when she figured it out?”

“To be a f-fly on the w-wall!” Chloé was gasping for air, as overcome as Marinette.

Eventually they settled down enough to get to work on their homework. Marinette was
pulling her books out of her bag when a folded piece of paper fell out and onto the floor. As she
read the note, for that’s what it was, Chloé saw her face pale just a little. Once she got her friend
seated, she swiped the note and read it herself.

-Maribug, sorry I haven’t said much. I told me not to do anything until Bustier (do you know
how hard it has been to not call her boobier?) is taken to task. According to myself I can start
helping you behind the scenes. Tell Buzz I say she’s doing a great job kicking ass even if she just
got Pollen back, and please for the love of the Louvre, kick Chat’s ass. I told me that your real
Black Cat is way cooler and I can’t meet him until you get rid of Chat Noir. Sleazy little
manipulative shit that one. Bunnyx-

Chloé didn’t bother to try and find a chair. She just sat on the floor where she was. Looking
up at Marinette, she saw tears gathering in bluebell eyes. Immediately she swooped up for a hug,
pulling the shorter girl down off her chair. Marinette wrapped her arms around Chloé and cried as
the blonde held her.

Relief filled the designer’s body and soon her tears ran out. Sitting back up she sniffled and
grinned sheepishly at Chloé. “Sorry. I just really needed to know that. You wouldn’t believe how
much I was dreading having to deal with Adrien as Chat just because there wasn’t a better match.”

“What are you talking about Mari? Who’s Bunnyx and how does whoever this is know I’m
Honeybuzz?”

Marinette gave a watery laugh as she stood up to find a tissue to dry her face. “Bunnyx is or
will be Alix and the holder of the Rabbit Miraculous which has a power relating to time. Do you
remember the akuma Timetagger?”

“Yeah. Is Bunnyx the rabbit themed hero who was helping you?”

“That’s her. It was actually a hero from the future. Hers is a last resort power. Sometime in
the future, I’ll give Alix her Miraculous and she’ll be Bunnyx. Alix is aware of this, having met her
future self but I wasn’t aware until now that she knows already that I’m Ladybug and obviously I
didn’t know she knew I gave you Pollen,” Marinette explained.

“So that’s how that little sneak figured out who we were at the Gala! She knows things
others don’t,” Chloé exclaimed. “That little shit!”
“That’s Alix for you. I wonder when she gave herself the heads up. I’ll have to ask her,”
Marinette mused.

*****

Two weeks later and November was turning into December. Paris was finally relaxing after
roughly two months of no akumas popping up at all hours of the day. Marinette got to watch the
fall out at school after an investigation had been launched thanks to the evidence Damian and Tim
had gathered and sent into the school board.

Mr. Marchand had been fired for behavior unbecoming a teacher and chaperone for a school
sanctioned trip and charges had been levied against him for multiple cases of lewd behavior
involving a minor. Marinette didn’t even want to know how Tim had managed to dig that proof up
but she didn’t doubt it.

Miss Bustier had also been fired for unbecoming behavior as well as child abuse for the shit
she’d done and let be done to Marinette as well as previous students. The abuse came with criminal
charges and Marinette hoped that the woman got the metaphorical book thrown at her. It wouldn’t
surprise her at all if the school district took both former teachers to civil court thanks to the
multitude of students affected.

Mr. Damocles hadn’t been fired but he’d opted to quit of his own volition once the truth
about Marchand and Bustier had come out. He claimed he didn’t feel qualified to lead teachers in
their responsibilities considering what he’d let the two of them get away with already. Since
Damian had made sure to include notes about previous incidents involving Bustier and Damocles
ignoring a student’s claim, the school board had pulled up the wealth of evidence stored away in
the security videos. Damocles probably had more than a few charges ready to be thrown at him as
well. Marinette didn’t care that the man resigned, provided he got the same black mark on his
professional record that Bustier and Marchand did.

The new headmaster was from a different school and implemented a strict anti-bulling
policy. Every single teacher, including the two new ones, was required to attend continuing
education classes pertaining to the topic. Alya got the hint after the first time she tried to verbally
attack Marinette over something Lila said. Detention and a call home to her parents got the
message across tout suite.

Having the school sorted out, except for dealing with Lila once and for all, left Marinette free to
start working toward dealing with a brat cat. That wasn’t going to be fun but damned if she didn’t
find herself looking forward to when she could take the Black Cat Miraculous away from him.
Since returning from Gotham she’d been avoiding him as herself by spending as many nights at
Chloé’s as she could; no nighttime visitors to her balcony thank you very much. Since she was
eighteen her parents were fine with it as long as she was responsible and didn’t get into trouble.

Ready to deal with Chat Noir, Marinette took to patrolling as Ladybug a couple nights a
week to see if Chat took the bait. Not surprisingly it only took until the second night she was out
before the cat wielder appeared. Seeing him pop up out of the corner of her eye, Ladybug made her
way to warehouse that had a number of chimneys to help muddy the view of the roof.

“Well hello My Lady! Its paw-sitively wonderful to see you,” Chat gave her a grin she
supposed was supposed to be flirty. She thought it looked like he was constipated.

“Chat.” Ladybug crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.

“Aw, don’t be like that Bugaboo! You know you love my jokes.”

She rolled her eyes, “Guess again. And I thought I told you to not call me nicknames?”

“I’m just showing my love,” he actually batted his eyes at her. “How about a date tonight
with your one and only?”

“I don’t want whatever it is you’re calling love. Besides, I can’t go on a date with my
bonded, he’s not in Paris right now,” her delivery was nonchalant.

Chat’s reaction wasn’t. It was only a split-second reaction but his face contorted into an ugly
expression before smoothing out again. “I’m right here!”

“You are yes.” Chat Noir’s expression slipped from smug to pissed as she continued,
“However, you’re not my bonded and I’m not interested in cheating on him with you. I’ve told you
repeatedly Chat; I’m not interested in you. I never have been. My soulmate and I activated our
bond before I ever met you.”

Chat snarled wordlessly and jumped at Ladybug, pressing her against a nearby chimney and
nearly lifting her off her feet. He pressed his entire front against her and held her hands above her
head as he leaned in, “You’re mine Ladybug, you just need to accept it. I’ve put in too much time
fighting Hawkmoth to not get my prize! I’m going to have you one way or the other!”`

Her eyes widened briefly before narrowing dangerously. Chat didn’t notice as he was leaning
in to force a kiss on her. He didn’t get there; instead, he froze and let out a pitiful whine before
letting Ladybug go to crumple to the ground in a ball. Ladybug may have had her hands
immobilized but Chat had left her legs alone and she’d taken advantage of that oversight to plant a
knee in a very tender spot.

“You asshole! Trying to force a kiss on me? What was next when that didn’t get you what
you wanted? Rape? Because there is no way in hell I would ever fall for you, even before you
pulled this shit! Newsflash you hairless hairball; you can’t force people to love you! You can’t
force people to feel the way you want them to!” Ladybug was furious. Spotting Chat Noir getting
his bearings again she snapped her yo-yo out and strung him up from the same chimney he’d had
her pressed against.

Taking a moment to calm down, she speared Chat Noir with a look. “Chat Noir, you have
been behaving in a manner unbecoming of a Miraculous holder. Your actions have led to the
decision to revoke your Miraculous.”

Chat choked, “What? No! I need to be Chat Noir!” Before he could use Cataclysm to get
free, Ladybug spoke over him.

“Adrien Agreste, as Guardian I hereby revoke your Miraculous!,” she held out a hand and
with a green flash Chat Noir was gone. Enabled by the Guardian’s declaration, Plagg slipped the
ring off of Adrien’s hand and zipped over to place it in Ladybug’s hand before settling himself on
her shoulder and glaring at Adrien.

Green eyes blinked in shock, “You knew I was Chat Noir? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Ignoring him, she spoke again. “Adrien Agreste, as Guardian I hereby curse you with the
inability to ever wield a Miraculous again. As Guardian I hereby revoke your knowledge and
memories of being Chat Noir and wielding the Black Cat Miraculous. As Guardian I hereby revoke
your knowledge of the Guardian’s identity.”

The mental stress of having the knowledge and memories combined with the physical stress
of the curse knocked Adrien unconscious. Feeling herself shaking, Ladybug steeled herself and bit
back her emotions. There was something she needed to do before she could react any further. A
flick of the wrist had her yo-yo unwinding from around Adrien and traveling back to her hand.
Soon Honeybuzz landed on the roof in response to the quick message Ladybug had sent. If she was
surprised to see Adrien out cold she didn’t show it.

“Bug? What’s up?”

Ladybug motioned to the male blond, “Can you get him home? I don’t care if you just put
him on the front step and ring the bell, drop him in the garden or throw him through his damn
window. All I care is that he’s not near me.”

“Sure,” Honeybuzz gave her friend a searching look. “You okay?”

“No. Is it okay if I borrow your shower? Mine won’t have enough hot water to feel clean,”
Ladybug’s voice was flat.

Ocean blue eyes widened before she reigned in her reaction, “Yeah, go ahead.” Ladybug
didn’t say another word before she was swinging away as fast as she could. Honeybuzz looked at
the model, “What the fuck did you do Agreste?” Shaking her head she picked him up to take him
home.

Job done, she hurried back home, taking advantage of the night and her mostly dark outfit to
land directly on her balcony. When they’d returned from Gotham, she’d arranged some plants on
her balcony to form a nook hidden from the street and her room and Chloé took advantage of that.
Despite how long it had taken her to get Adrien home, she found that Marinette was still in the
shower. Tikki and Plagg were settled on one of Chloé’s pillows, obviously worried about Marinette
if the glances they kept giving the bathroom door were any sign. Pollen joined them, buzzing
softly.

Now very worried, Chloé cautiously slipped into the bathroom. Through the steam she could
see Marinette huddled in the corner under the spray of water, forehead resting on her knees.
Sighing softly, the blonde grabbed a large, fluffy towel and reached in to shut the water off.
Wordlessly she pulled Marinette to her feet, wrapping the towel around her in the process.
Grabbing a second, smaller towel Chloé got Marinette’s long black hair twisted into it.

Seeing her friend’s eyes drooping, the Bee efficiently got Marinette dressed into soft
clothing and tucked into bed. Tikki’s Chosen was asleep in under three minutes flat, a fact that
worried Chloé considering the girl was normally an insomniac. After quietly going through her
own nighttime routine, Chloé climbed into the bed next to Marinette. She settled in comfortably
with her back against Marinette’s in a silent show of support and comfort before drifting off to
sleep herself. Tikki, Plagg, and Pollen created a kwami cuddle pile on one of the spare pillows.

Luck was with them over the next couple days; Adrien wasn’t in class. No one could decide
if it was because of a modeling thing or if he was sick. Marinette figured it was probably his father
being an uptight wad of a human being combined with Adrien being a bit sick. Honeybuzz had left
the blond model on the front step and pulled what Tim had once referred to as a ding dong ditch.

Chloé still didn’t know what Adrien had said or done to shake Marinette up so badly but the
blonde was aware she’d talked to Damian. Tim didn’t know what had happened either but he’d told
Chloé that Damian had gone on a raging tear through the training room after he’d talked to
Marinette.

The morning Adrien returned to school was tense for Marinette to start but soon she relaxed;
clearly the memory revocations had taken and held. It certainly helped distract her when Kim had
approached her just as lunch was starting to ask if she could help the drama club with cleaning up
some dance steps for their upcoming production. She’d gladly agreed and soon she was ensconced
in the theater with music pumping and a crowd to teach around her.

Adrien had followed along behind Alix, Max, Chloé and Nino. Why those four were together
he didn’t know but he was curious and wanted to see what Marinette was going to do. Since they’d
been in Gotham he’d found it harder and harder to ignore the girl. There was just something about
her that drew him in like a moth to a flame.

He’d just settled into a seat a bit behind the four he’d followed when Marinette finished
talking and signaled for the music to start. He felt his mouth go dry as he watched her move. His
eyes trailed from where her feet were encased in heeled black booties up her legs to her ass,
deliciously showcased by blue skinny jeans. Green eyes trailed up past the slivers of her torso that
slipped in and out view as she moved her arms before following the curve of her breasts up to her
neck. Barely biting back a groan, Adrien bit his lip as he watched the curves she possessed roll as
she stepped to the music.

Unknown to Adrien, he’d been spotted coming into the theater. He’d also been spotted
lusting over Marinette. Chloé was not happy with this. The look on the boy’s face was slightly
disturbing and triggered an internal alarm. Vowing to keep an eye on him, she returned her
attention to Marinette and saw that she was walking toward her.

“Come on, Mari. Let’s go grab a quick bite to eat,” she swept the designer out of the room,
making sure to avoid going anywhere near Adrien. During the last class that day, the blonde got a
video via text. It was from Nino; and it wasn’t good.

It was a compilation of clips starting in Gotham and continuing in Paris showing Adrien and
him watching Marinette, including in the theater earlier that day. The last clip was the most
disturbing. Visually it was just Nino, hand clapped over his mouth and his eyes blown wide in
shock, standing in what looked like the locker room. The audio was another story. Someone was
 clearly enjoying himself as he moaned aloud, breathing heavily, and whispering extremely
disturbing things. One in particular made Nino visibly freeze before he started moving out of the
room as the video cut out.

~He’s obsessing and I don’t think it’s going to stop. I started compiling these together when I
first started seeing it in Gotham.~

Chloé felt ice thread through her veins. “Fuck!”

~Get Alix, Max, Kim, Nathaniel, and Marc to my place by six. We’re going to have a
planning session. There is no way that boy is going anywhere near her if I have anything to say
about it.~

~Will do, dudette.~

Chloé met Marinette at the bakery like normal and dragged her up to the apartment. Not
giving the designer a choice, Chloé sat her down in the living room and told her what she’d seen;
both in Gotham and in the theater that day. She then showed Marinette the video. It was only
thanks to being so close to the bathroom that Marinette made it to the toilet before she violently
threw up.

Once her stomach was empty she started sobbing. Chloé couldn’t understand what she was
saying since Marinette kept jumping languages but she didn’t need to. She simply held her friend
until she wore herself out. Carefully, Chloé got the girl up to her room and settled on the chaise
before making sure her school things were placed by her desk. A quick note told Marinette she’d
gone home but that the designer was welcome to follow when she woke or call her to come back
over.

Chapter End Notes

Well, there we have it. Bustier go bye-bye, Chat Noir go bye-bye.

Scene summary 1: Ladybug spots Chat out her second night on 'patrol' and finds a
warehouse roof with chimneys to break up the view. She reaffirms that they're not
soulmates and she'll never be interested. Chat doesn't like that, pins her to a chimney
and tries to force a kiss on her. She knees him in the balls and breaks free before
revoking his Miraculous, his memories of being Chat, and his memories of who the
Guardian is. She then calls Honeybuzz to take the now unconscious Adrien home.
Ladybug goes to Chloe's (with permission) and when Honeybuzz gets home, Chloe
finds Marinette huddled in the shower. She gets her out and tucked into bed.

Scene summary 2: Adrien follows her friend group to the theater and oogles Marinette
as she is teaching some choreography for a play. Chloe spots it and acts. Later that day
Nino sends Chloe a video of clips he took starting in Gotham of Adrien being a creep
over Marinette and the ending scene is Nino reacting to hearing Adrien jerk off in the
bathroom while muttering some disturbing things about Marinette. (Adrien is NOT
SEEN in this clip. Only Nino's visual reaction since he is being quiet...unlike Adrien.)
When Chloe shows this to Marinette, she throws up and has a crying jag before
conking out.
I'm not sure if I should apologize for this chapter or not.....
 Chapter 8
Chapter Summary

In Which: Marinette withdraws. The group circles the wagons around Marinette.
Adrien and Lila get trolled. Green Lantern finds out he screwed up. Marinette stops
hiding in front of her friends. Max, his bonded, and Nino get quite the little string of
surprises. Marinette scores a two for one on a troll.

Chapter Notes

My oh my oh my. Here we go again! A few more tropes are probably splattered in

here but honestly, I don't care. They're fun. And so is sass. Expect lots and lots of sass
because I'm a sassy lady. Sass and sarcasm is my default setting most of the time.
Sorry but I'm really not.

There are no triggers for this chapter that I'm able to think of other than cussing and
some physical affection of a romantic nature *coughmakingoutcough*. No creep
factor, no violence.

There IS, however, dancing. Both freestyle choreography and bachata. The info about
bachata that Chloe shares is legit and if you search for it on YouTube you'll find music
and performance videos galore. Maybe I'll tell you guys who my favorite dancers are!
Four songs are referenced and/or have a line quoted in this chapter and they're
absolutely not mine (nor are anything in the DC or ML universes.) In order they are:
(Highlight and right click to open the link)
Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w4Udbys4O4
I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAp9BKosZXs
Kings and Queens by Ava Max - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH1RNk8954Q
Dancing's Not a Crime by Panic at the Disco - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rODNMWBLZzY

Yes, the scene these songs appear in takes place at a club selling alcohol. Yes, the
group is drinking alcohol. Legal age in France is 18 and, hey what do you know,
they're in Paris, France. Does that mean I support/condone underage drinking of those
that age here where I live? Not really but I know it happens; because,
y'know...experience.

Language translations at the end.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Marinette fiddled with the simple chain she was keeping Plagg’s ring on as she silently
walked through the school. When she reached the classroom, it was a relief to find it empty still.
Slipping into her seat, she placed her bag on the seat where it would sit between her and Chloé.
Tikki and Plagg were already ensconced inside and Pollen would likely join them when Chloé
arrived. The Black Cat kwami was still feeling the negative impacts of having a wielder who had
been barely compatible and as a result the snarky little feline was less acidic than normal. If Plagg
had wanted her to, she would have tucked his ring away in the Miraculous box but he’d wanted to
be with Tikki and Marinette couldn’t find it in her to deny him, or Tikki who’d been worried about
her counterpart over the last couple years, that comfort.

The petite Ladybug wished she had comfort like that at this point. After finding out about
Adrien’s obsession at the end of last week she’d only talked to Damian once. He’d been furious
that he’d had to find out about it from Tim and Chloé since she’d exhausted herself between
vomiting and crying. He’d still been furious when he’d hung up but she didn’t try to call him back
and calm him down. Damian was a person who needed to think things through and calm down on
his own. That was just how he was wired.

Her thoughts jerked away from the week before when the door opened again. Chloé was the
next one into the room and she gave Marinette a supportive smile before both girls smoothed their
expressions into ones of cold, detached disdain for their surroundings. Neither said a word when
Kim and Max took seats at the bench next to Marinette and Chloé while Alix sat directly in front of
Marinette. Not a word was said when Nino came in and sat with Alix; nor when Nathanial sat
across from Alix in front of Kim.

When Adrien walked in he was surprised to find himself the target of blank yet somehow
hostile stares from those around Marinette with the exception of Chloé who had a satisfied smirk
on her face. The black-haired designer didn’t even look in his direction and it irked him. No matter,
she’d come to him eventually. After all, Alya had said repeatedly that Marinette had a crush on
him.

The day, hell the entire two weeks before the Christmas break, passed quietly. The two
Miraculous holders had opted to lay low and let things simmer on the back burner for a bit. Alix
had started to run interference for them, Marinette especially, with the help of her two bonded and
Nino. Nathaniel wasn’t big on confrontations so he settled for being quietly supportive or
disappointed, depending on which person was the recipient of his opinion. He, with the help of
Marc, spread the word quietly through the school that Adrien needed to be kept away from
Marinette as much as possible for her safety. Half of their class might be in Lila’s thrall but the rest
of the school was not. They’d seen her for what she was and had written her and her court off years
ago; not that any of them noticed.

The group that rallied around Marinette was so focused on keeping Adrien away from her
that they failed to notice her growing quieter as the days went on. The more they worked to
hamstring Lila when she tried to spin stories to her court, the more they failed to notice Marinette
slowly distancing herself. As they kept Alya from going into ‘full attack dog’ mode, the group
didn’t notice Marinette pulling into herself. She didn’t react outwardly much before (unless she
was irritated enough that is) but now she didn’t react at all.

Finally the last class of the day on the Friday before Christmas ended. Marinette, as was still
her custom, slipped out of the school using the side door. Instead of turning toward the bakery, she
hooked a sharp right. As she moved down the street she heard a screech cut the air. Glancing back
over her shoulder she spotted Chloé almost knocking Tim off the corner and into the street. Looks
like Tim decided to surprise her, Marinette thought with a smile, continuing in the direction she’d
been going.

Her destination was the dance school where she took lessons in a variety of styles. The
woman who owned it had a soft spot for Marinette, setting aside some time where she could have
one of the smaller studios to herself. Nodding a greeting to the teacher currently manning the check
in desk, she was soon changed and tucked into the room set aside for her. After ensuring Tikki and
Plagg were settled comfortably in her bag, plenty of treats and a view of the room from the corner,
Marinette went to the sound system. Making sure her ringer was set to do not disturb (and ignoring
any call and text notifications already there) she swiftly plugged her phone in and pulled up one of
her favorite playlists.

It was a good thing the walls, ceiling, and floor were all soundproofed. Marinette preferred
to have her music up a little louder when she needed to immerse herself in the moves the music
dictated to her. When Hawkmoth was still terrorizing Paris it had been a method she’d developed
to help herself deal with everything when she couldn’t get away.

Staring at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help wondering what others thought when they
looked at her. She saw her black hair, currently tucked up in a messy bun; bluebell eyes that looked
flat above a dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose; a figure that had more muscles than
curves. Closing her eyes, Marinette pushed those thoughts away as the music pulled at her.
Breathing out, she opened her eyes and moved.

Damian was not happy. He’d arrived in Paris earlier in the day with Drake only to be
dropped off at his father’s penthouse and told to get settled in. Drake, in the meantime, had
scurried off to pick up his bonded. The couple had returned with some of Chloé’s classmates that
had been keeping Marinette protected but no Marinette. Drake was obviously introduced as Chloé’s
bonded soulmate and Damian was introduced as Drake’s brother.

Drake had invited the whole group out for dinner and Damian was expected to go too.
Apparently his older brother was hell bent on keeping him from leaving his sight. Damian
suspected that Drake was afraid he’d find Agreste and take the little worm out of the equation. That
wasn’t the case; Damian wanted to find Marinette.

He was worried about her. For two weeks he’d ignored any and all calls or texts that he
received; from anyone. Damian figured it was safer that way than trying to play nice and not flay
anyone who tried conversing with him. Unfortunately, that ended up including Marinette. It had
happened in the past but she’d always kept up sending him short little texts to let him know she
was there. This time she’d stopped after sending one last text. ~I’m sorry I made you mad. I’ll
leave you alone. I love you.~ That had been a week and a half ago. If it weren’t for Chloé telling
Drake about what she and Marinette had done on a given day Damian would have been terrified
that Marinette had gotten hurt or something worse. Now instead of being out trying to find his love
and apologize (despite Todd thinking he didn’t know how to), he was stuck with his brother, Chloé
and some of Marinette’s classmates. Not where he wanted to be.

“So why are you in Paris?” Kim asked between bites of pasta.

“A few reasons. Obviously to see and spend time with Chloé. But our father also wanted us
on hand to help get the new branch set up and running,” Tim explained.

“There’s a new company opening a branch here?” Max perked up a little. “Which one?”

Tim smirked, “Wayne Enterprises.”

“Whoa, your dad is high enough in the company to get you spots opening a new branch?”
Kim looked impressed.

Chloé laughed, “No Kim. Tim here is the co-CEO of the company; with his father by the
way.”
 “But the CEOs of Wayne Enterprises are Bruce Wayne and Timothy Drake-Wayne,” Max
said before he froze, his mouth opening in shock as he locked his gaze onto Tim.

“Bingo,” Tim grinned.

“Holy shit! Chloé, you’re bonded to one of the Waynes of Gotham and you didn’t tell us
this?” Alix exclaimed, just barely preventing herself from yelling it.

The blonde laughed, “Hey it isn’t my fault you didn’t connect the dots.”

“What about Lila?” Kim asked. “She’s been spouting off about knowing the Waynes again
since we got back. She was suspiciously quiet about them after the first week in Gotham.”

“Didn’t Lila tell Alya she wasn’t able to get her an interview because they were out of town
before she just stopped talking about them when we were in Gotham?” Nino asked.

Tim started laughing, “She apparently doesn’t think the company can stop her while she’s
here in France. That’s why she stopped; she was slapped with a cease and desist order in Gotham.
Some of the employees at the hotel heard her and informed the company’s PR department.”

Alix’s grin was reminiscent of a shark’s, “Please tell me you’re going to stick it to her while
you’re here.”

“Naturally! We’re just waiting for the right time so don’t go spoiling our fun,” Tim winked.

Damian stayed silent; his thoughts occupied with what he was going to say to Marinette
when he saw her next. Jerked out of his thoughts by the others standing, he followed. Stepping out
into the cooler air he took a deep breath and wondered if he would be able to sneak away while
Drake was busy. Probably better to not push that just yet; didn’t need father to pull him back to
Gotham before he was ready.

The December air was cold but not blisteringly so. The group opted to walk to the hotel a
few blocks away. Chloé had convinced her bonded to host a movie night and it was decided to
swing by Chloé’s to pick from her massive collection. The plan after that was to have the
Bourgeois’ private chauffeur drive them back to the penthouse.

Despite his earlier thoughts about not sneaking away, Damian found himself falling farther
behind the group as they walked. His steps slowed and he couldn’t bring himself to care enough to
catch up. Once his brother was out of sight, Damian crossed the street to the small park that lined
this part of the way, following the feeling that told him he needed to be in that park. Meandering
aimlessly, he soon came upon a bridge crossing a small pond.

His breath hitched and he moved toward the bridge without thought.

Marinette stood in front of him, staring out across the park toward the Seine from the bridge.
His footsteps were silent but he still saw her tense and turn toward him almost languidly. If
Damian didn’t know Marinette’s body language as well as he did his own, he wouldn’t have
known she’d noticed him at all. Their eyes locked and held as he stepped closer.

“Damian,” she whispered, bluebell eyes going from dull to sparkling.

Wordlessly Damian slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him,
raising her up onto her toes. Marinette slid her hands up his shoulders to return the hug. “I’m sorry,
Bluebell. I’m sorry for cutting you out. You didn’t deserve it; you never do.” He pulled back,
letting her drop back off her toes, “Can you forgive me?”
 Her smile could have lit up the night, “Always. I’ve missed you so much. How long have
you been in Paris?”

“We got here earlier today. Drake dropped me at the penthouse and took off. Next thing I
know the place was invaded by some of your tolerable classmates,” Damian rolled his eyes.

“I’m surprised they’re not here with you,” she said quietly.

Damian flinched, “I was with them but when we were walking back to Chloé’s to pick up
some movies, I fell behind. It wasn’t even intentional. Drake would barely let me out of his sight
after he got back with Chloé. I think my family is afraid I’ll slip away and slit a certain model’s
throat before they can stop me.”

Marinette’s eyes dimmed a little, “I’m sorry Damian.”

“Why? None of this is your fault,” he snapped a little.

She shook her head, “I know that. But I still need to deal with it emotionally so I can accept it
fully. I was talking about how they keep doubting you at times.”

Hearing her voice shake as she looked down, he made a snap decision. “Come on, let’s go to
the penthouse. The place is fully soundproofed and if we can get there before the others, we can
hide out in my room until morning.”

“Knowing Chloé they’ll be at the hotel for almost an hour. She’ll want to pack a bag for
tomorrow and will take her sweet time about it.” If her laugh held a slightly hysterical edge, neither
openly acknowledged it.

Just as Marinette predicted, they got back to the penthouse before the group who had gone to
Chloé’s. The designer hid out of sight when Tim knocked on the bedroom door. When Damian
answered the relief on the face of the older brother was almost comical.

When he didn’t say anything, Damian snapped in English, “What Drake?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were actually here.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “After you lot got ahead of me I walked through a park for a bit and
then came here.”

Tim looked a bit skeptical, “You just walked around and then came home? Are you feeling
okay?” Emerald green eyes narrowed dangerously and Tim raked a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I
didn’t mean to pry. I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come watch movies with us.”

“Why? Want me to cuddle you? I thought that was Chloé’s job,” Damian deadpanned. A
snort was heard from the living room and Marinette mentally identified it as Kim.

Tim actually blushed, not used to Damian having relationship ammo to tease him with. “You
have your own bonded, Brat. Go cuddle her or whatever it is you little demons do.”

“You’re the ass who wouldn’t let me go find her even though you went to get yours.
Besides, are you sure you want me to elaborate on our physical relationship Drake? Because
knowing her, she’d help me describe things to you so you can put it into practice,” Damian’s
impish grin was dangerous. Marinette heard someone choke and start coughing in the living room.
Based on what she could hear it was probably Chloé, being the only one out there who knew who
Damian’s bonded was.
 “Hell no, Brat!” Tim yelped. “Ugh. Fine. We’ll be in the living room if you decide to join us
later.”

“Yeah, not happening.”

The door was unceremoniously shut in Tim’s face and locked. Damian turned to where she’d
tucked away to hide, shaking with silent laughter but her eyes glinting with unshed tears. Gently he
pulled her out of her hiding spot and into his arms, resting his cheek on the top of her head. As
expected, her laughter soon changed to tears. When her knees started buckling he scooped her
bridal style and sat on the edge of the bed with her in his lap.

Eventually she calmed down enough that they could talk. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bottled
that up but I just couldn’t talk to the others. I’m still not used to having anyone other than you to
lean on. And as much as I hate to say it, I just can’t bring myself to trust them with everything.”

“I shouldn’t have cut you off like that,” Damian started but she silenced him with a couple
fingers on his lips.

“Damian relax. I knew what was going on. I know your temper, love. You needed the time to
work through it, even if it was without me butting in. Besides, I knew once you got through it,
you’d help me with what I couldn’t work through on my own,” Marinette shrugged.

Damian opened his mouth to argue the point some more but got cut off before he could utter
a syllable.

“This is great and all but there’s something we need to address ASAP, Bug,” came a snarky
voice followed by a black cat themed kwami. Tikki floated up next to him.

Marinette sighed, “Damian, this is Plagg, the Kwami of Destruction. His Miraculous is the
Black Cat ring.”

Emerald eyes met eyes that were another shade of green altogether, “How the hell did you
put up with that bratty cat for so long?” Marinette snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Okay I like you,” Plagg smirked. “And honestly I have no idea. That’s not important
though.” Plagg waved a paw (or was it a flipper?) to brush aside the topic. Turing his gaze to
Marinette, Plagg was suddenly extremely serious. “You need to pass me to the true Black Cat or
retire both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses back to the box. If you wait any longer things
will become unbalanced.”

“Do you know who it is?”

Plagg answered while gesturing toward Damian, “Him of course. A True Black Cat is
always the soul mate of a True Ladybug.”

Marinette looked at Damian, “It’s up to you. If you don’t want to carry the ring, I’ll tuck
them away. It is your choice and I’ll support you no matter what you choose.”

*****

Batman barely avoided glaring at Green Lantern (Hal Jordan when he wasn’t wearing
glowing green) as the Dark Knight stood in front of those gathered at Justice League headquarters
the day after meeting his youngest son’s bonded. Without a word, he pulled up a video compilation
(created by Tim) of some of the first akuma attacks in Paris.

Green Lantern burst into laughter before he jeered at Batman, “You really think this shit is
real?”

“I know it to be an accurate recording of some of the events that happened in Paris over the
course of five years. I found these in the archives,” he played the first two videos he’d found of
Ladybug attempting to contact the League. “The first was attached to an email and the second was
a direct video call recorded by the system. Both were dismissed by Green Lantern.” The gravelly
voice was perfectly level, cluing those in the room who actually knew something about him that he
was seriously pissed off. He wasn’t the only one with a dangerous temper that had been triggered.

“What did you think you were doing?” Wonder Woman snapped, clearly furious.

“It was just a kid playing around in a costume! When I checked the satellite feeds, Paris
showed no signs of any damage,” Lantern was almost snooty, not happy that he was being
questioned.

“Of course you wouldn’t! One of Ladybug’s powers is to repair the damage done during the
immediate crisis she’s dealing with. Why didn’t you forward this on to someone who might know
more about the powers involved? It’s magic!”

“Come off it Wonder Woman. Look at the video, it was clearly a kid playing around!”

Batman growled, shooting an unseen glance to the shadows at the back of the room. “What
about this? It is another video attached to an email that was never even opened before it was
archived by your sign in.” Batman played the video Ladybug had spliced together and sent,
showing some of the more devastating akuma. More than one person in the room looked upset at
Ladybug’s message at the end.

“We need to find Ladybug and offer our help!” Wonder Woman looked ready to burst from
the room.

“Ladybug sent another email two years after that video,” Batman pulled that up on the
screen. “It was also an unopened item in the archives but it says she’s resolved the situation.”

Wonder Woman looked resolved, “We still need to find her.”

Green Lantern rolled his eyes, “What’s your deal with this? Those are computer graphics
and she’s just a girl trying to play hero.”

“The hell it is! My mother was a Ladybug wielder!” Wonder Woman snapped. Since when
did Wonder Woman swear?

“What you mean a Ladybug wielder?” Superman interjected, hoping to calm tempers.

“The Miraculouses are jewelry that are imbibed with the power of gods of concept. They’re
powerful and each based upon a different concept with a different theme. The two most powerful
are the Ladybug of Creation and the Black Cat of Destruction. This is how Ladybug and those
working with her got their powers; presumably, the villain got his hands on two others and is using
them for the opposite reason they’re meant to be.”

Green Lantern snorted, “Magical jewelry? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“A little on the nose there don’t you think? After all, your powers come from jewelry as well
do they not?” a cold, slightly accented voice sounded from the shadows. Only Superman saw
Batman drop his face into his hand.

Everyone else jumped to their feet and faced where the voice came from, expecting to do
battle. Instead, they were faced with an unknown female in a red and black outfit(complete with
wings) standing with her arms crossed. Behind her, stood a smirking Robin, a chuckling Red
Hood, a grinning Nightwing and a tired looking Red Robin who had his arm around a female who
wore black and yellow(also with wings.) She was glaring at Green Lantern with the same intensity
as the other female.

“Ladybug?” Wonder Woman asked in what might have been awe.

“Hippolyta’s Daughter.” More than one in the room jerked; that wasn’t common knowledge.
“Tikki asked me to have you pass her greetings to your mother if you can.”

Wonder Woman’s eyes grew wide, “I shall do so. My mother still holds great fondness for
her.”

“Tikki does as well. She’s talked about her a number of times.”

Superman broke in, “What’s the situation in Paris?”

The blonde in yellow and black stared at him, “You’re seriously asking that after Batman
just got done telling you it’s been taken care of?” Turning to Red she asked, “Is Supes always this
oblivious?”

“Relax Honeybuzz. Supes isn’t the one I wanted to talk to,” Ladybug sighed before looking
at Superman. “Still, since you asked. Hawkmoth has been dealt with.”

“You killed him?” one of the members Ladybug didn’t know asked.

“No. I removed his Miraculous from his possession, just as I did from his partner. Neither
will ever be able to repeat what they’ve done,” Ladybug answered smoothly.

“Where are they imprisoned?”

“That’s need to know only and you don’t need to know,” Ladybug’s voice was hard.

Green Lantern snorted, “You’re just a brat aren’t you?”

“You’re just a sexist ass-wipe that’s stuck in the toilet trap aren’t you?” Nightwing choked
and Red Hood snorted. Honeybuzz snickered and Superman heard her whisper ‘Go Bug!’

Green Lantern stood and stomped over the Ladybug. The Bat crew and Honeybuzz backed
away from Ladybug slightly but only the most observant noticed Robin keep his eyes locked on
Lantern as he got closer. He placed himself slightly to the side, hand on his sword hilt, ready to
intervene swiftly if needed.

“You like to run your mouth don’t you girlie?”

Despite the mask on her face, it was obvious she raised an eyebrow as she stared at him with
cold eyes. In a velvet soft voice full of ice she said, “I call it like I see it. Besides, you’re ragging on
us for using what you call ‘magic jewelry’ when you’re using it as well. I would bet without your
ring you’re just a scared, bitter man who can’t accept that there are people better than you.”
 “What did you say?” Lantern growled. This little girl was pushing his buttons.

Ladybug’s smirk was hauntingly familiar to everyone that saw it but only a few recognized
it. They knew Lantern was in for it and relished seeing Hal Jordan get his ass handed to him. “To
put it in simple terms you can understand, you’re a chicken shit without your ring. I highly doubt
you’d even be willing and able to take on even little old me outside my own transformation.”

Green Lantern glared and backed up before he deactivated his ring and he was Hal Jordan
again. “Fine little girl. Let’s dance.”

“Do I look as stupid as you? I know damn well that you can use your ring when you’re not in
your green pajamas. You’ve been known to power your punches with it and while I can easily take
that while I’m in this form, I’m not about to let you kill me,” Ladybug scoffed.

“Fine!” Hal pulled his ring off and put it on the table behind him. Glaring at everyone he
snapped, “Don’t touch my ring or I’ll knock your blocks off.”

Ladybug smirked, “Tikki, spots off.” A light flashed around her and when it faded there was
a young woman wearing blue jeans, a black blouse and a red domino mask; Tikki flew into Robin’s
hood unseen. “What? Thought I’d show who I really am?” she snarked after spotting a couple
surprised expressions. She was shorter than they thought she’d been, most not having noticed the
heels her transformation gave her.

She faced Hal and made a ‘bring it’ motion. He grunted and attacked immediately. She dodged
punch after punch, kick after kick. He tried to grapple and she slipped away before he could get his
hands on her. After making the point that she wasn’t going to let him connect a hit, she went on the
offensive. Taking advantage of her smaller size, Ladybug slipped inside his reach and slammed an
elbow into his diaphragm, causing him to gasp for air and take a couple steps back. Even as he did
that, she twirled and landed a reverse side kick to the same spot.

Carried by the momentum, Hal lost his footing and fell back on his ass before laying out on
his back with a pained groan.

“Payback can be such a bitch can’t it Hal? Tikki, spots on,” she said, causing a brighter
flash of light than before to flare before she was once again the Ladybug who’d entered the room.
“Well, I’m done here. I did what I wanted to do. I’ll talk to some of you later I’m sure,” she said in
a perky voice before sauntering out the door arm in arm with Honeybuzz. Robin, Red Robin, Red
Hood, and Nightwing followed them, a couple of them snickering quietly.

Batman glared at Hal, completely uncaring that the man was still laid out on the floor and
groaning in pain, “Grab your ring and sit back down. We’ve got more to talk about.”

*****

Nino surfaced slowly, first identifying the sound of voices speaking quietly in the kitchen.
Next came the mouthwatering aroma of a well-done breakfast. The third thing he registered was
the horrific kink in his neck thanks to the position he’d fallen asleep in. Ouch. Grunting in
discomfort he lifted his head and noticed that he was still in the living room where he’d fallen
asleep during the movie marathon the night before. He was slouched in a chair while Tim and
Chloé were snuggled up on the couch, taking up the entire length. Alix, Kim and Max had formed a
cuddle pile on the floor in front of the couch.

Sitting up and letting out a groan with the stretch that rolled through him, he noticed the
others waking up. Must have been woken up by the smell of food, he thought. Wait a second.
Everyone was here in the living room. Who was cooking?

Maybe Damian? Tim had said he was in his room the night before, not interested in
watching movies. Who was the second voice then? It sounded familiar, extremely familiar; but his
sleep fogged mind couldn’t place it. “Something smells good,” he heard Kim mumble as he sat up.

Tim was the next to verbally surface, “Shut up until I’ve had coffee damn you.” Everyone
else in the room snickered quietly, still not awake enough to fully grasp what was going on. Nino,
simply because he was the first one on his feet, led the way into the kitchen only to stop dead in
his tracks.

He had to be seeing things.

On the counter sat a woman wearing a large black t-shirt, her long black hair cascading
down her back. Standing between her knees was a shirtless Damian who had one arm wrapped
around her waist, holding her flush against him and the other hand buried in her hair. Her arms
were draped over his shoulders, one hand playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. The pair
were joined tightly at the lips, clearly enjoying themselves if they hadn’t noticed everyone in the
doorway.

Nino heard Chloé huff behind him. “Oh come on people! If I don’t get to a caffeinated drink
soon someone’s head is going to roll!” This had the couple pulling apart almost leisurely, not at all
flustered at being caught making out in the kitchen.

“Marinette?!” four voices yelped in unison.

Nino thought he had to be seeing things. Since when did Marinette know Damian well
enough to kiss him like that?

“Hey guys! Ready for breakfast?” she motioned to the platters of food sitting on a different
counter. “I woke up early.” Damian stepped away, reaching for a pair of mugs that had been just
out of sight. Handing one to Marinette, he leaned back against the counter beside her. She in turn
crossed her legs as if sitting on the counter like it was a chair was a normal thing for her.

“I’m confused,” Kim grumbled. “When did you get here?”

“Before you did last night.” Marinette’s answer had more than one person choking. The
designer hid her smile behind her mug, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Tim grumbled, “Of course you did. You two are little shits.”

“Aw, love you too Timmy,” Marinette fluttered her eyelashes at him. Chloé rolled her eyes,
more than used to the two bantering by this point.

“What’s going on?” Nino asked, eyeing Marinette and Damian.

“I’ll explain in a minute. I want to teach Alix, Max and Kim something first.” Marinette
explained to them about flaring their joint aura, just like she had Chloé and Tim. When Alix got it,
having been the first to try, she brought their tan, blue, and gray aura into view. The designer
turned to Chloé, “You want to show them?” The blonde was naturally ready to show off her
connection with Tim.

“This is so cool!” Kim exclaimed, rather hyped up. “How’d you know how to do that?”

Marinette snickered as Damian leaned over and kissed her neck a split second before
crimson and black exploded into view around them. Nino dropped his fork and Kim yelped. Alix
and Max had more subdued reactions, having already started to figure it out.

“Now that you’ve cleared the air some would you two please go get dressed?” Tim
grumbled.

Marinette’s grin was a bit scary, “I don’t know. You might need pointers. After all, you’re in
a relatively new relationship.” She turned to Chloé, “What do you think Queenie, does he need
some educating?”

The blonde blushed to the roots of her hair as she let out a shriek and hid her face in Tim’s
neck. Tim choked on the mouthful of coffee he’d just taken. Marinette cackled and crowed, “Two
for one! I got them both!”

Damian lifted her off the counter and set her feet on the floor, highlighting just how much
smaller she was. “That you did, mi alma. Come on, let’s go get changed. As much as I love seeing
you in my shirts, I’d rather that view be restricted to as few as possible.”

Nino expected Marinette to blush but she just grinned up at Damian, “You say the sweetest
things, amore.” The two were out of the room in a flash.

“What the fuck was that?” Kim looked like he’d been hit on the back of the head by a board.

“Yeah,” Nino added. “Marinette wasn’t a stuttering, blushing mess! What happened?”

Chloé sighed and refilled her coffee mug, “That was the real Marinette instead of the one
she’s let us see for years. For example, the whole thing with Adrien back before Lila showed up
was a cover to keep Alya from snooping.”

“Why didn’t she want Alya snooping? When did they activate their bond? Their aura looked
more tightly interwoven then ours,” Max said. Chloé told the quartet what Marinette and Damian
had told the Wayne men (and Chloé) back in Gotham when they’d revealed their bond.

“Holy shit! And we never even had a clue!” Alix whispered.

“I didn’t want you to,” Marinette stepped into the room. “It’s why I faked a crush on Adrien.
Alya doesn’t know when to back the fuck off; I could tell that within the first twenty minutes of
talking to her. That kept her from snooping into my real business.”

Marinette completely ignored any and all questions about what, exactly, her real business
was. Instead, the entire group found themselves talked into going out that evening. Nino wasn’t
completely sure how she’d done it, but Marinette got them all on board with the idea and boom;
they were all going out for the evening. So, now he was once again in the penthouse living room,
waiting for some (the girls) of their group to finish getting ready.

He, Max and Kim had gone home and changed into comfortable clothing (in other words,
jeans and nice shirts), none of them being big on dancing. Alix had gone home to get herself an
outfit but Chloé had adamantly required the pink haired girl to get ready with her and Marinette.
Tim and Damian had surfaced from their rooms already dressed; Tim in blue jeans and a red polo
shirt while Damian was wearing a black pair of slim fitting pants and a deep red dress shirt.

Alix appeared next, wearing a black shirt with a pair a blue jean shorts over black leggings
while her feet were in her favorite sneakers. Despite this quintessential Alix outfit, it was obvious
Chloé had gotten her fingers on the girl while she was getting ready. Her hair was somehow styled
to look windblown without being messy. Some subtle makeup highlighted the shape of her eyes
drastically. Nino chuckled at the stunned expressions on the faces of Max and Kim; by the way
they sandwiched her in a hug it was clear they approved of her slightly changed look.

The young lady wasn’t impressed. “Seriously you guys? I let her put a little makeup on me
and suddenly I’m jaw dropping? Get real.” Nino thought he detected a tiny bit of hurt in her eyes.

“Not so Alix,” Max pushed his glasses up. “We’ve always thought you were stunning. It’s
just that the eye makeup makes your eyes really pop and I think I can speak for Kim when I say
your eyes are one of our favorite features of your face.” The DJ blinked when he saw Alix blush.

“Glad to see my work is appreciated,” Chloé snarked as she walked into the living room. She
was wearing a soft gray halter necked mini-dress paired with light tan thigh high boots. Her hair
was up in her normal ponytail and her makeup was subtle.

“Come on guys! Let’s go!” Marinette called from the entry, having bypassed entering the
living room altogether. The group scrambled to don their jackets and catch the designer before she
left. Chloé had arranged for the Bourgeois family’s private driver to get them to their destination.

It wasn’t until they had arrived at the club Marinette had chosen and picked a table for their
use that anyone saw the entirety of the designer’s outfit for the night. She’d chosen a high waisted
pair of blue skinny jeans and a dark red sleeveless top that fit like a second skin, handily tucked
into the waist of her jeans. Her feet were encased in a pair of black heels and for once, her hair was
down in public, hanging to the small of her back. Before that morning, Nino hadn’t seen her with
her hair down in years and it was more than a little jarring still.

Marinette, completely uncaring of who was watching, made a sound of discontent and
stepped up to Damian. The expression in her eyes, if anyone other than Damian could have seen it,
was both mischievous and dark with desire. She reached up and undid the top two buttons on his
shirt before reaching up and mussing his neatly combed hair. Nino swore he’d never heard a
woman’s voice sound so sinful when she leaned into Damian said with a purr, “Much better my
love.” How the hell did Marinette hide so much of her personality for so many years? Nino asked
himself. The Marinette he’d seen over the course of the last twelve hours or so was one he’d only
ever seen hints of.

Soon enough the entire group had their drink of choice and were chatting happily during a
quieter song. According to Marinette, the DJs of the place played just about any kind of music. It
was about half an hour after they’d gotten their drinks, during a slower ‘bump and grind’ song
when Kim groaned. “Check out the dead center of the dance floor.”

All eyes swung to the location he’d mentioned and spotted Lila and Adrien. Were they trying
to dance? Marinette choked on her drink and coughed out something along the lines of ‘two
overcooked noodles wiggling together!’ Everyone at the table stared in shock before bursting into
riotous laughter, tears in a few pairs of eyes. Despite this, more than one person noticed that the
pair was creeping closer and glancing over at the group to see if they had their attention.

The song ended and the pair disappeared back into the crowd. Nino blinked and turned to
lock eyes with Damian, “Agreste is trying to get Marinette’s attention and make her jealous.” No
way in hell was he calling the blond by his first name if he could help it. He didn’t deserve it.

Marinette groaned, “And Rossi is trying to draw the rest of you into her little net to try and
make me jealous or upset.”

“Morons,” Chloé and Damian snorted in unison. This sent everyone into hysterics again. As
they were calming down and reordering drinks, a new song started up and Marinette visibly perked
up.

“Chloé, you up for a little fun?” bluebell eyes sparkled with mischief. The blonde’s ocean
blue eyes lit up to match and the two moved away so fast Nino wondered if he should have heard a
sonic boom.

The two young women found a spot on the floor just as the song’s refrain started. With
practiced ease the pair were lost to the music and moving easily with it. Hip pops, shoulder rolls,
even booty drops timed to the beat accents were mixed in with general body movements. At one
point, Marinette locked eyes with Adrien (who looked floored when he recognized her with her
hair down) and she threw a smirk at him as she sang along with the music. He didn’t appear to like
that she was telling him that he just had to suck it up that she was ‘over him’ if the dark look on his
face was any indication.

While keeping an eye on the two dancing, Nino had been scanning the crowd to see if he
could spot Adrien and Lila. About halfway through the song, he managed to find them. They were
off to the right, roughly halfway between the dance floor and the wall. Their position on an
elevated area of the floor allowing them to see the entire dance floor with Alya and the rest of
Lila’s court were gathered around them. Nino pointed them out to Damian and both happened to be
watching when Adrien recognized Marinette. The dark look on his face told them she’d spotted
him as well and had sent him a message through the lyrics of the song.

“He’s going to cause trouble for Marinette before too long,” Nino muttered.

“Yes he is,” Damian mused softly, eyes shifting back toward Marinette.

Nino glanced at the older teen, “You’re not worried about it?”

“Of course I am,” Damian’s green eyes were sharp. “I also know that if I tried to wrap her in
bubble wrap to protect her, she’d cut my balls off. She’s vicious when pissed.”

Nino blinked when Marinette was suddenly in Damian’s lap, “Of course I am darling. I’ve
learned from the best after all.”

Chloé piped up from next to Tim, “Mari you’re so vicious you’re fucking terrifying when
you get going!”

“Queenie, you really do say the sweetest things,” Marinette fluttered her eyes at the blonde.
The group laughed although half of them wondered just how much scarier the tiny designer really
was than what they’d already seen. Especially since Chloé looked serious behind the veneer of
laughter.

“You guys were killing it out there!” Kim exclaimed cheerfully.

Chloé laughed, “We were just messing around. If you want to really see something, you let
Mari over there loose and watch what happens. Depending on the music, Damian might just get in
on it too.”

Max pushed his glasses up his nose, “I didn’t think dances such as the waltz or tango were
common in places such as this.”

“No, they’re not,” Marinette laughed. “Chloé wasn’t referring to ballroom dancing like what
you saw us do at the Gala in Gotham. And honestly, Chloé you’ve gotten a lot better since you
started going to classes with me.”
 “I’m still not in your league though.” Despite being around them for the last two months or
so, Nino found himself a little surprised that Chloé was admitting that Marinette was better at
something, even when she was given an out.

After a bit of conversation, Marinette drained her drink and glanced around before looking at
Alix and Chloé. “I feel like letting my horns show a bit. If I set up a string of songs are you two up
for messing with a few people?”

Alix’s grin was all teeth, “I don’t know how much help I can be but I’m certainly up for it.
What do you have in mind?” It took only a couple minutes for Marinette to explain what she had in
mind. Both girls were all for it and Marinette was soon over by the DJ’s booth putting in her
requests.

A few songs and another drink later, the first of the songs Marinette had asked for started up.
Nino swore there should have been another sonic boom with how fast the three girls of the group
were out onto the dance floor. “How the hell do they do that?” he groused.

“Do what?” Kim asked, eyes locked on Alix as she moved to the music.

“Move that damn fast! And two of them are in heels!” Nino exclaimed, flipping a hand at the
girls on the floor. From the corner of his eye he spotted Adrien’s head whip around to look for
Marinette, following the direction of Nino’s motion. Asshole, the DJ couldn’t help thinking.

The song, full of a steady rhythmic beat, pulsed as the three girls in their group moved with
it. None of their movements were planned from what Nino could tell but apparently the other
dancers liked what they saw because soon a clearing on the floor opened around them. Alix took
advantage of this and threw in a few acrobatic moves to have a little more fun. The crowd loved it.
Glancing at Adrien, Nino didn’t know whether to laugh or not but he pointed it out to the others.
The model looked almost catatonic as he watched Marinette sing along about kissing a girl.

All three girls were laughing together when the song ended and another started. This time
Alix stepped to the side, motioning to the two girls to dance without her as she joined the watchers.
It was clear as Marinette and Chloé started following the music that they had stepped up their
game. They both clearly knew the song and had practiced some choreography for it in the past.
Nino laughed when both dancers popped a pose during a line about how a real queen would behave
to the delight of the watchers. Now there’s a dig a Lila. Nino couldn’t help the sarcastic thought.
Damian snickered when Marinette made a slashing motion across her throat to indicate ‘it’s off
with your head’ while Chloé fanned herself as if she felt faint. The crowd roared with cheers.

As the song came to an end, Nino couldn’t help glancing toward his classmates. The entire
group was now watching the dance floor and Lila did not look happy. Alya looked like she
couldn’t make up her mind whether she was mad, jealous or in awe of what she was watching.
Adrien looked like he was about to blow a load in his pants. Narrowing his eyes, he made a mental
note of what he’d observed even as he turned his attention back to the floor.

The next song started with a few quieter beats of music, which Chloé clapped along to as she
stepped to the side of the open circle. Marinette, on the other hand, stayed where she was and when
the beat dropped before the singer started, she moved. It was immediately clear that she’d been
holding back while dancing with Chloé and Alix. Her moves were more somehow more fluid and
her footwork was sharper and more complex. She threw her entire body into the music, easily
following it with body rolls, hip pops, spins and whatever else she wanted to do. The crowd loved
it as they cheered and whooped, especially when she threw in some footwork the singer pulled out
when he was performing the song. Nino heard Kim cackle when Marinette twirled her finger
against her temple during the line ‘I’m going insane and I don’t care.’
 The song ended and Marinette was just about knocked off her feet by Chloé and Alix as they
rushed to hug her. Surprisingly quickly the three were out of the crowd on the dance floor and back
at the table. Damian had ordered each a new drink and a bottle of water, anticipating them being
thirsty. Marinette, not bothering with her chair yet again, plopped herself back into Damian’s lap
and Nino noted she was only slightly winded. He blinked a few times before deciding he didn’t
want to know.

“Holy shit Mari!” Kim was just a bit shocked. “Where did that come from?”

Marinette laughed brightly, “I’ve been taking dance lessons for just over four years. I don’t
take ballet or tap though.” That started a conversation about dance styles and Kim got to talk about
his parents and their dance career before he was born.

Nino was content to listen and watch, his eyes often skipping over to where their classmates
were. Alya was slouched in her chair, arms crossed and glaring at the table in front of her. Adrien
and Lila were playing with their drinks and taking turns glancing toward the group of friends.
Around the trio the rest of their classmates (except Nathaniel) were chattering and laughing
happily. Nino even spotted Ivan escorting Mylene to the floor for a dance. Eventually, Adrien was
hauled to his feet by Lila and they found a spot on the floor.

Nino blinked, “What the hell are they doing now?” He thought they were trying to do a salsa
or something but it looked strange.

Marinette’s bluebell eyes swept around until she found them, “I have no idea.” Shrugging
she returned to her conversation with Kim and Chloé. Nino raised an eyebrow before turning his
attention back to the dance floor. More of their classmates were on the floor now, mostly gathering
around Lila and Adrien. Still dancing but mostly watching the pair. Nino blinked in realization.
Lila (or Adrien or even both) was trying to get a circle of watchers like Marinette, Chloé and Alix
had.

Damian whispered something to Marinette and she hopped out of his lap. He stood and held
out a hand which she gladly took. As they walked toward the floor, Nino heard her commenting
about the song that had just started being one of her favorites. Once they were on the floor,
Damian pulled her close and she hooked her arms over his shoulders as they stepped to the music.
When the music changed, he grabbed her right hand and their steps sped up to match.

Nino couldn’t help the way he gawked at the pair. He’d thought watching them tango was
impressive. That had nothing on watching them do whatever this was. Marinette was practically
glowing and Damian’s eyes stayed locked on her. The pair were enjoying themselves quite a bit if
the grins and smirks they were throwing at each other were any clue. At one point, Damian said
something and Marinette laughed, their footwork never stopping.

Nino saw Adrien’s head snap around to look from where he was still dancing with Lila,
obviously recognizing the laugh he heard. Surprisingly, Marinette and Damian were not too far
from where Lila had planted them dead center on the dance floor. The six still seated at the table
cackled as they watched Adrien start trying to get Marinette’s attention by showing off. Not that it
would have worked even if she wasn’t with Damian; Gabriel Agreste had never seen fit to have his
son take dance lessons of any sort and Lila didn’t appear to have any real skill either. Marinette
didn’t even glance over toward the model pair.

“Does anyone know what they’re doing exactly?” Alix asked curiously.

Chloé answered, “Bachata. According to Mari it originated in the Dominican Republic but a
number of variations have cropped up as it spread around the world.”
 “Interesting,” Max hummed. Nino could almost see his brain flashing through ideas about
the way it spread and changed. Max really had a thing for numbers and statistics.

“It’s their favorite; from what she told me they like all the variations too. I got to see them
dance the first time Tim asked me out. We went to a dance club and those two spent most of the
night on the floor,” Chloé explained before pointing to the dance floor. “In fact, something like that
happened there too but we couldn’t see it since the whole place was level.”

Nino turned his attention to find that a circle of space was developing around Marinette and
Damian like it had earlier around the girls. The pair didn’t acknowledge that though; they just kept
doing their thing, changing things up when the song changed. At the edge of the circle stood their
classmates, many of them looking quite shocked to see Marinette dancing like that, even after
watching her earlier. Adrien looked angry but the way his eyes trailed across Marinette as she
moved raised the hair on the back of Nino’s neck. He made a mental note to tell Damian what he
saw.

Lila was scowling, clearly not happy that attention was on Marinette and not her. Eventually
someone snapped at her mutterings and she grabbed Adrien’s arm and dragged him away. Nino
tracked her, seeing her haul the blond all the way to their table. She grabbed her things, snapped at
him so he grabbed his, and dragged him out of the club entirely.

Nino couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face.

Chapter End Notes

Language translations:
mi alma: my soul (Spanish)
amore: love (Italian)

FYI: I KNOW the way Marinette deals with things at the start of the chapter isn't
necessarily that healthy. Trust me, I'm aware. The thing is though, she isn't refusing to
deal with her issues, she's just processing things at a rate and in a fashion that she can
do alone, at least until Damian is ready to help her because she knows he will.
Always.

The moves Marinette/Ladybug uses to take down Hal are legit, can be used together
seamlessly if you're practiced, and hurt like a bitch if used on you. They're not role
playing.

One more chapter left! Wow...I can't believe it. Seems like just last week I posted
Chapter 1. Damn.

Thank you to everyone that has commented so far. I love reading them. My husband
(who occasionally reads what I'm working on if he is in the mood for it) asks me at
least twice a day if there are any new comments he hasn't read yet and if there are, he
immediately wants to read them. Adorable right? Want a heads up? The next (last!)
chapter lays the smack down. (Sorry guys but Damian doesn't touch Adrien. ;) )
Hubby was flat out cackling during parts of it. He doesn't cackle. That's usually me.
I'm so proud of him! He's learning so well! *wipes away tear*
Yes, I am still working on my next fic...it is going to be longer...hopefully much
longer than this one and it is going to be Marinette/Damian. I do NOT have a time
frame for it though. Sorry. (Someone find me a kennel to stuff plot bunnies into
please? They keep getting between my ankles and trying to trip me into starting other
stories before I'm done with the one I'm writing. Blasted things are as prolific as real
bunnies.)
 Chapter 9
Chapter Summary

In Which: Comeuppances galore are inbound. A boutique robbery is the scene of a bit
of kickassary. Adrien displays more creep factor. Another Gala is attended. Gabriel
finds out he isn't the powerhouse he thought he was. Francois-DuPont is the scene of a
large number of broken brains, on repeat even. Alya displays more obliviousness. A
new Cat in Paris makes an appearance. Lila and Alya are the targets of an epic troll
but they don't realize it right away. Paris finds out who the two youngest Wayne men
are bonded to.

Chapter Notes

Its here. The end. The comeuppances. I don't know if I should shed a tear or not.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! There are some scenes that may cause issues.
The big ones both involve Adrien and the first is a micro scene (two or three sentences
long maybe) of him ranting to himself and it is in italics so easy to see. The second big
scene is an assault on Marinette that has a attempt for a forced kiss at the start.
Basically, if you're worried that you might have issues, skip when you see Adrien's
name and find the summery in the end notes-Skip once you see Duusu's name, it is
right after that. The scene in italics near the start has guns if that is a trigger, they're
not fired though.

The assault I mentioned in the warning above contains a bunch of martial arts/self
defense techniques that are COMPLETELY LEGIT! I've been trained in all of them
except the last...the hubs helped with that one because he HAS been trained to do it.
The stuff in the video scene (italics scene) is just random generic martial arts for the
most part.

No language translations but a fair amount of cussing in at least one scene. I gave
Pissed Off Mari my ability to cuss enough to peel paint.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

A week and change later found a relaxed but slightly grumpy Marinette walking into the
classroom to find her friends had beaten her there. It wouldn’t have been all that shocking if it
weren’t for the fact that no one else was there yet. Marinette had gotten into the habit of being
early sometime during Lila’s second year at their school. It cut down on what the little shit said
about her in the classroom.

Blinking, she paused before moving toward her seat. “What’s with you guys?”

“We didn’t see you at all after that night out where Lila ran with her tail between her legs so
we thought we’d come in early to chat,” Chloé’s voice held a honeyed sweetness that could have
fooled almost anyone else.
 “Uh huh,” Marinette deadpanned. “Nice try Queenie but I’m not buying it.”

Kim looked about to burst, “We wanted to ask about the video of you two that went viral!”

Marinette blinked, “What video?”

Max handed her his tablet as she sat down. A video was on the screen, ready for her. It was
from a news broadcast that had been about an attack or robbery in a high-end boutique. The
broadcast had included some footage from a security camera; that footage was what had gone viral.

Marinette hit play.

The boutique was quiet, not being terribly big despite how popular it was. Two people, a
man, and a woman were in the store with a single employee. The woman was browsing while the
man followed her around, occasionally wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her
forehead. The door opened and four people came in, wandering around aimlessly. Until they
weren’t.

One of the four pulled a gun on the employee and shoved her toward the register. A second
pulled a gun on the female shopper, effectively corralling the man with her as well. The third and
fourth got to down to business stuffing whatever they could get their hands on into bags. If one
watched closely it was possible to see that the second gunman was motioning the woman away
from her male companion and toward the door. The man she had been with slowly backed away,
toward the first gunman at the register.

As soon as he was close enough, both shoppers sprang into action. The man swept the legs
out from under the first gunman even as he jerked the man’s aim away from the clerk. Lightening
quick, his companion had the gunman on her disarmed and out flat on the floor courtesy of a shot
to the groin and a fist to the temple.

Both moved toward the two remaining thugs, each taking down one in an efficient method.
Working together they got all four thugs pulled against a wall and their hands tied together with
anything handy that wouldn’t break. The clerk, shaking and slumped against the wall, was soon
being comforted by the woman while the man used the store phone to call the cops.

Minutes before the cops showed up, the woman helped the clerk to her feet, motioning to the
camera that was recording. A quick hug between the women later and the two shoppers were out
the door. The security footage ended and the newscaster came onto the screen. She explained that
the clerk was unharmed but the two shoppers who had taken down the thugs were as of yet
unidentified. The security footage was unable to provide a clear enough image to identify them yet
the owner of the boutique wished to extend heartfelt thanks for them protecting his employee and
property.

Marinette blinked, looking at the others once the video was over. “Okay?”

“That’s you and Damian. Don’t try to tell me otherwise,” Chloé glared halfheartedly.

“What makes you say that?”

Chloé huffed, “You used the same move to knock out Two-Face when we were at that
museum.”

“Huh.” Marinette had to admit she was a little surprised. “I don’t think anyone else would
make that connection.”
 Turning to the others she asked, “How’d you guys know?”

“We didn’t until Chloé pointed out the fist thing. Then we compared that to what we saw
when you were taking out Two-Face and his thugs. It would have been easier if the video weren’t
black and white. Or if it had sound.”

“I guess I can’t deny it then. Yes, that was us. Neither of us wanted to deal with the police
and the angle of the camera was enough that we knew it wouldn’t have caught our faces in full.
That’s why we bugged out of there before the cops got there,” Marinette shrugged.

Nino spoke up, “So where were you two? We never did manage to find you after that night
at the club.”

“Here and there. We were hiding from the gruesome twosome, Agreste and believe it or not,
our families. Sorry Chloé, but Damian didn’t want to deal with anyone. We had some things we
needed to work through as well so it worked out.” Before the group could ask further questions,
some of their classmates came in the door and prevented it. The topic of conversation shifted to a
more general one.

Once class started, Marinette sat back and let her mind wander. She and Damian were both
on edge. Contrary to what the video showed, those thugs weren’t there to rob the place. They’d
been in there with the sole reason of getting Marinette. The one that had held her at gunpoint had
sneered something about ‘sampling’ her ‘goods’ before turning her over to the person who’d hired
them to grab her. It was another reason they’d left before the police showed up. She didn’t want or
need her name attached to this mess. Even if the person who’d hired to have her kidnapped
recognized anyone in the video, without an official statement about it, who they’d held up in the
store was still up in the air.

Pulling her attention back to class just in case she actually needed to learn something new,
Marinette let the worry fade to the back of her mind for the time being. The day passed quietly and
finally Marinette was slipping out the side door as usual. She quickly hurried around the front of
the bakery to the residence door where Damian was waiting. With a grin she slipped her hands up
to his shoulders and leaned up for a kiss. Damian wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and
pulled her against him, deepening the kiss. Pulling apart, they started chatting as they walked
through the door.

Standing by the corner, having spotted Marinette, and followed her, was an angry blond
model. Marinette was his and no one was going to take her away. Especially after the way she’d
behaved at that club just before Christmas. She needed to learn her place and that place was under
him and no one else. He snarled as he stomped back toward the car his bodyguard was driving.

Marinette and Damian spent the rest of the day and that night together in her room. As had
become more and more common over the last few years, Marinette’s parents barely acknowledged
her once they came up from the bakery after closing. Having heard them come up through her open
trap door, she stepped down to say hello and goodnight before returning and closing her door. Her
parents had extended the evening hours a few years ago and often didn’t return to the apartment in
time to eat with Marinette. They normally ate a quick supper before going into their room to get
ready for bed and unwind with a little reading or television watching.

This had come in handy many times over the years thanks to the odd hours Hawkmoth liked
to call up akumas. Not having to worry about keeping her parents company or them suddenly
entering her room, she’d felt more confident in keeping it secret. It helped that the floor and the
door in it were soundproofed, a carry-over from when the building had been owned by some
musicians. The room that was Marinette’s had been their practice space.
 Now it helped to keep them from nosing into her business when Damian was over.
Especially since they still didn’t know about him. Marinette thought she was probably being a bit
petty but couldn’t help it. They’d started shutting her out years ago, really only spending time with
her at the table, in the bakery or when her father wanted to play video games against someone.

The next morning she was running a bit late. She and Damian slipped out the residence door,
with her parents still unaware of his being there. Turning to her soulmate, Marinette got a toe-
curling goodbye kiss before she hurried to the school. She was just passing an open doorway along
the outside of the courtyard (thankfully covered by the temporary roof) when an arm shot out and
grabbed hers, jerking her sideways through the doorway. Caught completely off guard, she let out a
yelp and barely kept her feet under her just inside the door. Turning to see who had grabbed her she
mentally rolled her eyes.

“Adrien. What the hell do you want?”

The former Miraculous holder smirked at her, “To take you out for a date. We’ll be great
together princess.”

“No.”

“Come now, we both know you’re in love with me and have been for years. Alya’s told me
all about it,” he leered.

Pulling his hand off her arm, she glared, “I said no, Agreste. I have a bonded soulmate and
have for years.”

“Me!” the boy postured like a peacock. Sorry Duusu, no insult intended Marinette couldn’t
help thinking.

“Not bloody fucking likely. I’m not into little boys Agreste. My soulmate is all man,
something you’ve yet to learn how to be,” Marinette snorted.

Adrien grabbed her wrist and pulled. Marinette glared and twisted her arm against his thumb,
easily freeing herself before she moved to leave the room. The model snarled wordlessly and
grabbed her again, pulling her flush against him. He tried to kiss her but she kept turning her head
away. “Let me go!” she snarled.

He pressed her back against the wall by the door and went to grab her chin with one hand,
intending on holding her head still so he could kiss her. After all, true love’s kiss works wonders. It
breaks spells in fairy tales and he’d seen it work to break love akuma spells too. Once he’d kissed
her, she’d realize her feelings for him and they could be together.

“I said let me go damnit!” she yelled this time even as she brought her knee up to meet his
groin. He let her go, crumpling to the floor. Taking the chance, Marinette went to leave the room
but she didn’t make it. Adrien managed to keep enough awareness to snake an arm out and catch
one of her ankles. Tripping wasn’t ideal but she was at least able to get out the door even if it was
by landing on the floor, mostly in the courtyard. Another yelp, almost a scream, left her lips as she
fell, rolling from her side to her back after landing. Unbeknownst to her or Adrien, this drew
attention from students still gathered in the yard; students who’d heard her yell.

A bit winded and dazed from the fall, she didn’t quite get her bearings back before Adrien
had crawled over and sat on her hips to pin her down. Marinette loved it when Damian pinned her
when they were wrestling or sparring (or other things) but Adrien doing it at all was making her
skin crawl in the most unpleasant ways.
 Adrien pinned her shoulders down, preventing her from reaching up and grabbing his hair or
punching him to get him off her. “Honestly, Marinette, you know you love me. You want to be
with me; you just can’t admit it to yourself after all this time.” When Adrien had started talking she
hooked one of her feet over one of his while she grabbed the elbow on that side. She snaked her
other hand between his arms to grasp the same wrist.

“Go to hell Agreste! I told you I already have a bonded! Alya knows shit about me, let alone
who I love. News flash asshole, it isn’t you!” she snapped before bucking her hips up. Adrien
tipped forward and she rolled. Before he could grasp what happened, she’d smashed an elbow into
his chin to get him to let her go before a second elbow to the diaphragm dazed him further.

Jumping to her feet, Marinette leapt sideways over him and took a few steps further into the
courtyard before stopping and turning back to face Adrien as he got to his feet. The students around
them, whom Adrien still seemed to be unaware of, stepped back against the walls. Marinette
looked pissed and Adrien looked a bit deranged.

“You’re mine Marinette, whether you admit it or not,” Adrien’s green eyes looked almost
like glowing green acid. The designer saw more than one student jerk in shock at the tone in the
model’s voice.

Marinette stayed centered, “How many times do I have to tell you, Agreste. I have a bonded
and he most certainly isn’t you! In no way have I ever been interested in you!”

“Alya claims otherwise, princess,” Adrien preened a little as he stepped closer.

The petite designer rolled her eyes, “Alya knows exactly fuck all about who I love; I met him
when I was twelve by the way. I let her think I liked you so she wouldn’t nose into my business.”

Adrien froze, “You’re lying, princess.” His voice sounded almost like he was pleading with
her.

“I don’t lie,” Marinette’s eyes grew impossibly colder. More than one student who could see
her face shivered at her expression. “Alya didn’t know because Alya didn’t earn the right to know.
She just assumed she did before then proving me right to not trust her fully.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway! You’re still mine to claim,” Adrien snarled. “I will have you one
way or the other Marinette and there’s nothing you can do about it. We both know my father can
make it happen.”

“Go fuck yourself Agreste,” Marinette snapped, watching him with narrowed eyes. Adrien’s
reaction was to come at her, probably intending to grab her and wrestle her into his physical
control. No one watching could tell what happened. All they could see was Adrien reaching for
Marinette, her swatting his hands to the side with one hand while the other reached up and across
toward the top of his shoulder. In less time than it took to blink, she had a hand wrapped around the
back of his neck, forearm against the side of his neck and the other holding one of his arms. Adrien
wasn’t struggling to get free as she lowered him to the floor in a semi-controlled movement.

Primarily because Adrien Agreste was unconscious.

Sighing, Marinette looked around. “Can someone please call the cops?”

“Already on their way,” Chloé stepped into view from behind her. “I called Tim too so
expect your taller half here soon.”

The students of François-Dupont who had been around to watch Adrien attack Marinette
learned a few things that day. First was that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was fucking scary when riled
up. Second was that she was more than capable of kicking someone’s ass despite the fact that she
was barely five foot two. The third nugget of knowledge was that Adrien Agreste wasn’t the
sunshine boy he’d portrayed himself to be since he’d started school five years before. He had a
hidden streak of nasty a mile wide if the shit he’d just tried pulling on Marinette was any clue.

The first and second bits of knowledge were known in the school, just not openly
acknowledged. No one wanted to risk the chance that it was true and set the pint-sized powerhouse
on themselves. The third was shocking but not terribly so when people started to remember some
of the things they’d seen or heard Adrien do. Those not in Bustier’s former class had noted that
he’d started letting his mask slip a little when he wasn’t around his classmates quite some time ago.
For some reason, the majority of that class in particular was oblivious to the rest of the school’s
opinion on anything, including the students in that class.

It was the fourth bit of information that broke most brains though. For years there had been
boys trying to get the attention of the designer and not one of them had gotten anywhere. Neither
had any girls once they’d started to wonder if she wasn’t into guys. Any rumors about Marinette’s
love life were killed stone dead once they learned she’d bonded years ago. The fact that a tall, dark,
and devastatingly handsome man (who had entered the school just after the police) had swept her
into an embrace and planted a kiss on her that should have been rated ‘adults only’ certainly added
to that.

A small, select group of students somehow remained unaware of the events and information
dump of the morning. Unfortunately for them, they were clustered around a specific young lady in
a specific room with the door shut. They had no clue what happened until they saw the news that
Adrien Agreste had multiple charges slapped on him, with Gabriel being hamstrung because
Adrien had threatened using his father’s ‘power’ to get him what he wanted. More than one of
them choked on air when they watched the variety of recordings their schoolmates had uploaded.

*****

Ladybug sat nestled comfortably in the crossbeams under the top-most observation deck on
the Eiffel Tower. The previous roughly two and a half months had been chaotic and not a little
tense. The warm early April air was soothing as she sat above the hustle and bustle of the city
she’d grown up. The observation deck just above her was silent as were the floors farther down,
the tower being closed for the night.

Her gaze swept across the city but her thoughts were elsewhere.

In February Marinette had gathered Alix, Nino, Kim, and Max together. All four of them
were Chosen Miraculous wielders and she felt it high time they got them. Alix was obviously the
Chosen of Fluff, who allowed her to change into Bunnyx. Max was the Chosen of Kaalki and Kim
was the Chosen of Xuppu. That pairing was almost terrifying when they got going. Luckily, Alix
and Max with their kwami were generally able to reign in the jubilant pair. Nino was reunited with
Wayzz as his Chosen and the pair were usually the most zen pair of the group of Chosen.

After Adrien had attacked her at school in early January, he’d been convicted with no extra
fanfare. The evidence against him was overwhelming between eyewitnesses, their videos, and the
footage from the security cameras. When the video compilation showing his growing obsession
with her was added in, as well as observations from those around her, the now former model hadn’t
stood a chance. Despite Adrien’s claims, his father was able to do nothing to prevent him from
being locked away or get him what he wanted, which was Marinette.

Gabriel Agreste and his brand were still trying to deal with the fallout since Adrien had been
the face of the brand. Gabriel had even tried to get charges brought up against Marinette as well as
suing her but both had fallen so far flat he’d almost opened himself up for a counter-suit. The only
times Marinette had even hit Adrien during that whole attack was when he’d had her pinned to the
wall or floor. Even her take-down had been ruled to be purely self-defensive and intended to
prevent further attacks against her person rather than harm her attacker.

School had gotten easier, despite Lila and Alya trying to go on the warpath. Too many had
witnessed most of Adrien’s attack and Marinette’s take down for it to work. It certainly helped that
most of the school knew that their class had some serious issues with accepting what they didn’t
want to acknowledge. Lila was effectively hamstrung in the school and so was her attack dog.

Unfortunately, Rossi wasn’t hamstrung outside of the school. There had been a few more
attempts to kidnap Marinette since Adrien was arrested. Damian had been beyond livid; Marinette
figured it was a good thing she preferred to be in his company. He’d been adamantly against her
being alone, even at home, since the second attempt. Tim had managed to dig up some evidence
that Lila had been behind the attempts. It would be child’s play at this point to set it up so the
police could find the evidence.

That was scheduled for the next day. In fact, if everything turned out the way Marinette and
Damian were planning, both Lila and Alya were going to find their world views significantly
different than what they thought. The rest of Lila’s court getting their blinders brutally ripped off at
the same time was just going to be a bonus.

A hook shooting up in front of her to latch onto the frame above drew her from her thoughts.
When the person at the end of the line came into view, Ladybug couldn’t help the grin that formed.

Damian looked delicious in his Panther get up. (He’d declared that if Ladybug had an
English name, he got one too damnit!) His boots were lightweight, allowing for greater stealth and
his pants were snug but allowed for easy movement. The long-sleeved top was looser, rather like
what a pirate of stories might wear, complete with slightly undone laces at the neck. A hood came
up from the collar to cover his dark hair, much like the hood on his Robin uniform. A black
domino mask, an extendable staff, a grappling gun, and a few other things attached to a belt
completed the look.

The ears and tail that Chat Noir had been blessed with were determined to be unnecessary by
Plagg; Damian’s balance and hearing were already spectacular before transforming. Damian had
snickered when he learned that Adrien had only gotten them because he had needed the extra help.

“What are you doing up here?” he asked after he’d gotten himself arranged so she was
leaning against him.

“Thinking.”

Panther pressed his cheek against her hair. “Talk to me, beloved. What is going on in that
brilliant mind of yours?” he whispered in Arabic.

She responded in the same language. “I’m excited for tomorrow evening. Anxious for the
days after. Scared that something is going to prevent me from leaving Paris.”

“Your parents cannot touch you anymore. You’re legally an adult,” he saw right to the heart
of her fear.

Ladybug sighed, “I know but I can’t help be afraid that they’re going to try something. Lock
me away somewhere.”
 “They wouldn’t be able to. Not only are you not going to let them, I’m not going to let them.
We’ll deal with Lila and Alya starting tomorrow. Then we’ll leave Paris behind us. After all, that’s
part of the reason you’ve already removed the things you wish to keep from your room at home.”

She shook her head, “That’s not home anymore. My parents have been distant for years and
there really isn’t a pull there anymore. Wherever you are is my home, beloved.”

They spent the next few hours together enjoying the quiet before returning to his room at the
penthouse to sleep. The next evening was going to be busy and they wanted to be rested and at
their best.

The next morning was a whirlwind of preparations. Bruce had flown in for the grand
opening of the new Wayne Enterprises branch which was to take place that afternoon. That
evening a gala was scheduled to celebrate the grand opening as well as introduce the soulmates
that Bruce had announced at the end of October. Journalists from around the world were attending,
hoping to get the scoop. Also attending was the Parisian class that had earned a slot in the WE
Jump Start program.

Bruce had allowed Tim and Damian to skip out on the Grand Opening ceremony. Marinette
and Damian were ecstatic that his family was more than willing to help the designer get some of
her own back against the students who had been bullying her. It was looking to be quite the
evening.

Marinette had, of course, designed and created her own dress as well as Chloé’s. The blonde
was wearing a single shouldered Grecian styled gown made of a shimmery rose gold fabric. To
ward of any evening chill while outside, Chloé wore the white hooded bolero (without the cat ears)
that Marinette had made for the last gala. She’d opted to wear her hair pinned up in a riot of golden
curls, the ends trailing to rest just against her shoulder.

The designer had gone for something a little different for herself. Her dress, made of layers
of chiffon, had a high halter neckline anchored by a diamante band around her neck. The front of
the dress draped beautifully down her front before the sides were pulled around to join together just
above the top curve of her ass, leaving the entirety of her back open. It was solid black at the top
before fading in an ombre to a dark, dramatic red at the bottom. Since the red took dominance
around her knees, it was as if she was walking through fire when she moved. She’d opted to leave
her hair down but pinned to the side, draping over a shoulder to highlight the open back.

Damian’s reaction to her gown when she stepped out of the spare room at the penthouse was
worth the effort it had taken to work with the fussy fabric. Marinette shivered as he pressed his
hand against the small of her back and pulled her closer. “You look amazing my love,” he
whispered in Arabic before claiming her dark red lips for a quick kiss. Thank goodness for smudge
proof lipstick.

“Thank you darling. You’re looking pretty damn good yourself,” she winked. The suit he
wore, done by herself of course, was black with a deep red shirt to match the red of her dress. The
suit jacket had black on black embroidery to highlight the fit and draw the eyes.

“Tim and Chloé should be here soon with the car,” Damian held out the cover she was
wearing for the evening. It was a hip length swing cape with a hood. Despite it being April, a bare
back wasn’t necessarily comfortable when outside. “Come on Plagg, time to go,” the man called.
Plagg zipped into the hidden pocket Marinette had added to the inside of the jacket, purring just
enough for Damian to feel it against his ribs. The kwami was decidedly happier being with his true
Chosen than he had ever been when he was with Adrien. It was adorable but Marinette didn’t tell
the grumpy little kwami that.
 “Tikki!” Marinette called. The red kwami popped out of the nest Marinette had brought over
from the bakery. She cuddled against Marinette’s cheek briefly before slipping into the pocket
Marinette had designed into the dress specifically for Tikki, the other pocket in the dress was
intended for Marinette’s use.

The ride to the venue was passed in comfortable conversation with Tim and Chloé. When
they pulled up in front, they repeated their previous gala entrance. Tim and Chloé went first, the
crowd watching cheering wildly to see their own mayor’s daughter on the arm of a very handsome
young man. As those two walked away, Damian and Marinette exited the car, taking advantage of
the attention being on the others.

One of the fashion reporters caught Chloé’s attention, “Who are you wearing this evening
Miss Bourgeois? Your gown is stunning!”

Chloé grinned, “My entire party is wearing custom made designs by MDC this evening.”
Tim’s suit was similar to Damian’s but he had a white shirt underneath and the embroidery was
themed differently. Before anyone else could ask for elaboration, the quartet swept into the
building. Inside they slipped around to the side, avoiding the welcoming line where Bruce was
working his magic with the gentlemen who would be running the Paris branch for the time being.

Neither Tim nor Damian would be staying in Paris so they were exempt from welcoming
line duties.

Inside the ballroom, the class that had been Miss Bustier’s before she was fired, was
clustered around two separate phones. Both groups were watching the live stream of the red carpet
outside since they hadn’t been able to partake or watch it in person. One group was made up of
Alya, Lila and the rest of the Italian’s court while the other group was made up of Marinette’s
friends from the class (without Chloé naturally) with the addition of Marc who was Nathaniel’s
plus-one.

“How did Chloé get an MDC original?” Sabrina asked.

Alya waved a hand, “Better question is how did she even get an invite to this thing? She
wasn’t listed in the class invite. Neither was Marinette, which I think is all for the better. We don’t
need a little bully like her ruining things tonight.”

Lila allowed a smug smirk flicker to life for a split second, “I don’t try telling MDC who he
should accept commissions from.” She touched her fingers to her lips, “Oops. I shouldn’t have told
you that! Please don’t tell anyone!” The group around her assured her they wouldn’t.

“Is your soulmate going to be here tonight?” Alya asked. “I was hoping we could have met
him in Gotham at that gala. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you said he wasn’t able to
make it! I was just expecting him to be excited to be with his soulmate since your bond has been
announced.” The wannabe reporter was almost gushing.

Unnoticed by the group, the other group was watching them with varying degrees of disgust.
They’d obviously been able to identify Chloé but the face of the other woman with her had kept her
face from being caught on camera. They still knew it was Marinette though.

“Those guys are in for a rude awakening,” Nino muttered.

Alix, busy texting Marinette and Chloé, nodded in agreement. “Mari says she’s got a plan in
the works and that we’ll enjoy it. Chloé says to record their reactions since she and Mari won’t be
close enough to see them clearly.”
 Kim, shutting down the live stream now that their friends were inside, chuckled, “I keep
forgetting just how scary that girl’s mind is. Chloé was right when she said Mari is terrifying.” The
group laughed, having witnessed exactly what Kim was talking about often over the last few
months. She’d rarely displayed it openly at school but some of the digs she’d gotten in at Lila and
Alya were pretty sharp. Outside of school, all bets were off. It had taken the group some time to
get used to the Marinette she’d hidden away for years; more than one of them lamenting privately
that they’d have loved to have known her before.

Their discussion was interrupted by a gentleman stepping out on the stage to introduce Bruce
Wayne. The tall man greeted everyone and started speaking. He spoke about how excited he was to
bring Wayne Enterprises to Paris. He brought up the class he’d hosted in Gotham and all the good
they’d done in Paris over the years. A spotlight swung over to where they were gathered and the
crowd gave a round of applause for them, Lila preening under the attention. “As many of you may
know, in the end of October I announced that two of my sons had found their soulmates. I would
like to take the time to formally introduce both couples to the world this evening.”

Alix glanced at Lila out of the corner of her eye; the Italian was now looking decidedly
nauseated and like she might bolt. Sidling a bit closer, she whispered a bit loudly to Kim, “It looks
like Lila is going to be introduced tonight after all. I thought she wouldn’t be since she didn’t walk
the red carpet with her Wayne.” And bingo Alya took the bait. She latched onto Lila’s arm and
squealed quietly about how exciting it was and how delighted she was to be the best friend of
Damian Wayne’s soulmate. Alix discreetly exchanged a high five with her tallest bonded.

Meanwhile Bruce kept speaking, “My third son first met his bonded in Gotham at the
beginning of October. That meeting began what became a wild ride of a month, including but not
limited to a Nerf war in my home and an epic level prank years in the making. I mean that literally
by the way. Years.” The attendees were eating it up, laughing. The journalists invited were either
scribbling notes like crazy, recording the speech, or both depending on the journalist’s style. “It is
with great pride that I introduce you to my son Timothy Drake-Wayne and his bonded soulmate,
Paris’s own Chloé Bourgeois!”

The entirety of Lila’s court choked in shock, completely stunned as Chloé and Tim walked
out arm in arm looking amazing. They apparently hadn’t figured out just who Chloé’s bonded was.
Chloé had removed the hooded bolero they’d seen her wearing on the way into the building,
allowing her dress to speak for itself as she walked across the stage with Tim. Chloé gave a
blinding smile to the crowd and took the microphone from Bruce.

Turing toward the crowd of press, she spoke. “I will answer five questions and I pick who
asks.” The press, many of whom had been chattering loudly to get her attention, settled down.

Pointing to the quiet brunette woman standing in front, Chloé spoke, “You. Name,
publication, and question please. That goes for whomever else gets picked to ask a question tonight
by the way.”

“Lois Lane-Kent with the Daily Planet in Metropolis Miss Bourgeois. Congratulations on
your bonding. My question is will any of your family’s businesses be joining forces with Wayne
Enterprises in the future?” Alix didn’t bother to pay attention to Chloé’s answer as she was too
busy watching Alya freak out over the fact that her idol was there and she could possibly meet her.
A glance at Markov, brought with express permission to record their class’s reactions, told her the
little robot was still recording. Oh they were going to have fun watching this later. Smothering a
smirk, Alix turned her attention back to the stage where Chloé was picking another journalist.

The questions were fairly generic and the reporters even more so. “Where will you live?”
Gotham with regular trips to Paris. “Is marriage something you are looking toward?” None of your
business. Next question. “What designer are you wearing? Your gown is amazing.” The one and
only MDC! The last question was probably Alix’s favorite. “How did you get an MDC
commission? The designer is extremely selective about clients.”

Chloé grinned, blue eyes flickering toward Lila briefly. “I know someone who has an in and
no, it isn’t Tim. That’s all I’m saying but I will tell you that you should ask that again in just a few
minutes.” Naturally, the Italian’s court thought Chloé was hinting at Lila being the ‘in’ but Alix
and the young men around her knew better. So did Lila if the expression on her face was a clue.

Bruce took the microphone from Chloé who stepped back a bit and settled against Tim’s
side, eager to watch what was about to happen. Bruce turned to the attendees, “After Chloé and
Tim bonded, my family delighted in getting to know her. Along with her, we met the young lady
who was both her closest friend and the bonded soulmate of my youngest son.”

Lila’s court looked quite perplexed. Lila wasn’t even friendly with Chloé and had spent no
time with her in Gotham.

“This young lady and my son first met well over six years ago and they bonded at that time.
Together they decided to keep this a secret from everyone, including their families; to great success
I might add. We spent time getting to know this young lady and seeing a different side of my
youngest that we’d never known existed. This all happened before we were told they were
soulmates a mere few days before the Wayne Enterprises Halloween Gala in Gotham this year.
Additionally, the young lady has become successful in her own right, well before I ever heard of
her. Please allow me a father’s pride as I introduce to you, my youngest son Damian Wayne and
his bonded soulmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

If Lila’s court had been shocked by Chloé’s introduction, they were catatonic over this one.
Damian escorted Marinette out onto the stage with confidence and the air of a man who knew his
partner was the most stunning woman in the room. Unlike Chloé, Marinette was smirking as she
took the microphone from Bruce before turning to the press gathering.

“Same deal as Chloé. Five questions.” Marinette pointed at one of the calmer reporters,
“You first. Go.”

“Why did you keep your relationship with the youngest Wayne a secret?” Because we
wanted to, not that it is any of your business anyway. “Where did you meet Damian?” Here in
Paris, where I grew up. “When did you two meet and bond?” (That one was Lois.) As Bruce said,
about six and a half years ago. I was twelve and he was thirteen. We were best friends before we
became a couple. “Will you be working for Wayne Enterprises?” Probably not directly. I have my
own successful business. Then came the question that Chloé had hinted at.

“Miss Bourgeois said she has an ‘in’ with the designer MDC and hinted that we should ask
you about it. Can you elaborate on that please?” asked a reporter from a fashion magazine, clearly
desperate for any information about MDC.

Marinette snickered quietly, doing a slow twirl to show off the entirety of her dress. More
than a few gasped in awe, shock, or jealousy (sometimes it was hard to tell) when they saw the
back. “Gorgeous dress isn’t it? An MDC original just as Chloé’s is. Truth be told, Chloé does have
a direct line to MDC but honestly, I have a better one.” Marinette paused, eyes scanning the crowd
to find Alya’s and locking the blogger down as everyone listened eagerly. “You see, I am MDC.”

Whispers rang through the room, some believing, others not. Marinette wasn’t having it.
 “If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask some of my more well-known clients, including
Jagged Stone.”

Jagged, who was obviously attending because Marinette wanted him to, let out a whoop,
“Marinette’s designs are rock and roll! I won’t have anyone other than MDC design for me!”

Bruce took the microphone from Marinette and finished off his speech before the music
started up. Damian promptly led Marinette to the dance floor for the opening dance and pulled her
into his arms, his hand warm against the small of her back. At one point they passed by Lila who
was being grilled by her court. Catching the Italian’s eyes, Marinette let a dangerous smirk settle
on her lips as she winked before Damian led her away.

“Have I told you lately that I love it when you’re at your most dangerous?” Damian
whispered in her ear in Japanese.

“No but feel free to do so because I will certainly reciprocate.”

*****

All of the news outlets in Paris and many around the world were plastered with pictures and
videos from the Gala the next morning. Even Nadja had a little segment about the Grand Opening
ceremony and the introductions of the soulmates the night before. Marinette hadn’t even realized
that Nadja’s station had even had someone there.

Damian’s favorite picture was one taken of Marinette from behind with her looking over her
shoulder toward Damian, highlighting the open back of her dress. Marinette had teased him
repeatedly the night before that it was his favorite part of the dress. He didn’t disagree.

The plan this morning was to finish the take down of Lila and Alya. It had begun last night
with a few of Lila’s major lies being exposed. Not only was she clearly not friends with MDC or
the soulmate of Damian Wayne, but when Alya had dragged Lila up to Jagged Stone, he’d
debunked her lies about him as well.

Alya on the other hand, had been horrified when her idol Lois Lane-Kent had declared her to
be nothing more than a tabloid writer who couldn’t be bothered to check her sources. Mrs. Kent
had then proceeded to prove just how little effort the teen had put into checking her sources when
she pulled up solid information that some of the charities Lila spouted off about were fake.

The rest of Lila’s court was stunned and looking a little lost after all they’d learned. Not long
after Lila cut her loses and left, Alya followed. The class didn’t stay long after that either.
Marinette and Chloé, on the other hand, had a grand night.

Unfortunately for some, that trend was going to continue the next morning at school.

Bruce had approached the headmaster of the school and asked if it was possible to interrupt
the morning’s classes for some business. The headmaster, being no slouch intellectually, had asked
if it was a reasonable idea to have the police on hand. Bruce had agreed that it just might be a good
idea.

The result of that meeting was the entire school, not just the one class, seated in the covered
courtyard waiting for a presentation. There were some cops tucked in corners all around the place.
Tim had somehow legally gotten the evidence of Lila arranging to have Marinette kidnapped to the
cops on the sly. There was going to be no sneaking out for her. Additionally, and possibly
Marinette’s favorite part, the parents of some of her classmates were seated at the back where most
of the students missed their presence.

In front of the gathering was a temporary stage with a podium holding a microphone and
laptop and a table and two chairs standing next to a large video screen. Off to the side was a
cavalcade of lawyers just waiting for the word go to unleash themselves. Also tucked off to the
side were Bruce, Tim, and Damian; the only three members of the Wayne family in Paris.

As the denizens of the school filed in and were seated, they found the two chairs occupied by
Chloé and Marinette. Chloé was leaning on an elbow flipping through a magazine while Marinette
sat next to her with her feet, encased in the same black heels she’s worn to smack down the
teachers in Gotham, up on the corner of the table, her body angled so Chloé was slightly behind
her. She was also flipping through a magazine. Ignoring those watching, the two girls took turns
showing each other pages of their respective publications. In front of them was a pair of
microphones.

Nino, Alix, Max, Kim, and Nathaniel as well as Marc all knew what was going to happen
and were happily chatting as a group, uncaring of the glares and mopey looks directed their way by
Lila’s little court. The rest of the student body was simply curious but attentive.

The bell rang and Marinette looked up, glancing at the headmaster who indicated that
everyone was present. The designer stood and her outfit screamed power. Her high waisted pencil
skirt had a lovely red blouse tucked into it with the top two buttons left open, adding a dash of sexy
to the whole look. Her hair was down, throwing more than one person off when trying to identify
her. Chloé being next to her was the clue most needed to figure out who she was. The blonde was
wearing a cream-colored pantsuit with a soft yellow blouse under the open jacket. Her feet,
wearing silver heels, were tapping a pattern absentmindedly.

“Good morning!” Marinette stood, easily heard as she stood by the podium. “I would say
I’m sorry about disturbing your morning classes but for some reason I don’t think most of you
mind.” There was more than one chuckle at that.

“Now, I’m here because I need to present some information and to prevent
misunderstandings, I want to have as many witnesses as possible. Could Lila Rossi and Alya
Césaire please come sit at the table?” Marinette motioned to the chairs she and Chloé had been
sitting in. “I think the two of you will appreciate this more if you’re up here,” only a few people
picked up on the sarcasm lacing her voice.

Lila smirked and sauntered up, confident that Marinette had finally decided to cave and
submit to Lila’s rule. Alya, on the other hand, trudged up as if the world around her was crumbling.
As she walked, she threw Marinette a look that was reminiscent of a dog begging for a treat. Oddly
appropriate considering she’d been considered Lila’s attack dog for a few years now. The two
seated themselves as Chloé moved to the corner of the stage opposite where Marinette stood at the
podium.

“Right now that we have all the players in position, let’s play a game of truth or lie. It will
make this information dump a little more fun,” Marinette chirped. She just didn’t say it would be
fun for everyone involved. “First though, I have a video that needs to be watched.”

Marinette turned to the laptop and opened a video of Lila’s various claims, many involving
celebrities, compiled by Max from Markov’s memory database. There was a second video created
by Tim from the various Wayne properties in Gotham as well as the clip of Lila and Alya
destroying Marinette’s project at Gotham Academy. That video was on hold, intended for use in a
bit.
 Once the video was over, Marinette pulled out irrefutable proof that each and every claim
Lila made in that clip was false in one swoop. She turned to the side and called, “Excuse me, Ms.
Rossi but I have to ask. Was any of what Lila claimed true?” Lila paled so fast she swayed in her
seat as her mother glared at her from her seat along the side.

“Absolutely not!” she snapped. “My daughter has never had a medical condition much less
any of the garbage she said. Nor has she ever even met a celebrity! If she weren’t legally an adult I
would ship her off to a military boarding school back home! Now I know why I got called in and
interrogated about using embassy money to travel!”

“Sadly yes, you cannot ship her off. I do think, however, that I can help you with that,”
Marinette’s smile was not nice. “How does prison sound?”

The shock caused by that question silenced the gathering.

“You have no proof that I’ve done anything!” Lila squawked. Marinette turned cold bluebell
eyes to the girl and hit play on the second (Tim’s) video. The video barely ended before Lila
blurted, “None of that happened here and I cannot be extradited!”

“I wasn’t going to have you charged with destruction of property Miss Rossi because this
video was merely for additional context of what kind of person you are,” Marinette said smoothly,
a clear fuck you tone in her voice. “What I am going to do is allow the officers here do what they
came to do.”

Lila let out a shriek of rage, “Like hell I’m going to lose to you, you little bitch! You can’t
pin anything on me!”

“I wasn’t aware we were in a competition Miss Rossi. What would I pin on you anyway?”
Marinette asked, keeping Lila’s attention so she didn’t see the two female officers walking up
behind her. The other girl was almost incoherent with rage, a distinct contrast to Marinette’s
composure.

“I tried to have you removed without hurting you. I wanted you out of the way but no you
just had to thwart the thugs I hired to get you. Well now I’ll just do it myself and this time I don’t
care if you get hurt!” Lila ranted before reaching to pick up the mic stand to use as a weapon.

She didn’t get that far before the officers had her pinned on the floor and explaining she was
under arrest for orchestrating four kidnapping attempts and a new one of attempted assault.

Marinette watched with her arms crossed, highly pleased that Lila had further buried herself
in her rage. A quiet voice calling her name drew her attention. It was Alya and since she was still
sitting at the table, the microphone picked it up. The designer stepped a little closer to the podium
so that microphone would pick up her own voice a little better. No way was she going to speak
without multiple witnesses hearing exactly what she said.

“I’m so sorry Marinette. Can you forgive your bestie?” Alya almost simpered as she gained
steam, “You could help me recover my blog by getting me interviews with the Waynes and Jagged
Stone. I remember you designed for him. Oh I cannot believe you didn’t tell me about your
soulmate and that he’s Damian Wayne,” the reporter babbled, clearly not seeing the disgusted
looks directed her way.

“Miss Césaire,” Marinette snapped. The brunette snapped her mouth shut and her attention
back to the designer. “You are not my best friend. You never were.”
 “Yes I am! I’ve been your bestie since we met!”

Marinette examined a manicured nail nonchalantly, “Oh really? When was the last time we
hung out? When was the last time we talked on the phone or exchanged texts?”

“I-um. I don’t know?” Alya asked, racking her brain to find the answer.

“That’s right. You don’t even have my phone number. You weren’t one of the few I gave it
to.”

“Yes I do! I still have it in my phone!” Alya exclaimed, holding up the device.

Rolling her eyes, Marinette held up her phone, fingers clearly away from all buttons. “Chloé,
would you be a darling and send a text to me please?” Less than a minute later, Marinette’s phone
lit up and chimed. Once it went dark again, Marinette turned to Alya, “Your turn Miss Césaire.”
Alya eagerly fired a text off but Marinette’s phone remained dark.

“Wait what? You really changed your number and didn’t tell me?”

“Why would I? We haven’t been cordial for years; and even before that you were too damn
pushy for me to want to tell you anything. You don’t respect personal boundaries. You are the one
who decided I had a crush on a young man who ended up assaulting me because of your
nonsense,” Marinette snapped. “Why would I tell you about having a bonded soulmate from before
I ever met you? Why would I tell you I’ve built a successful fashion brand, completely
unconnected to my soulmate’s family? Why would I tell you I’ve already met all the requirements
and graduated early? Why would I tell you anything about myself over the last almost five years?”

Alya’s eyes were huge in disbelief.

“The answer, Miss Césaire, is I wouldn’t and didn’t because you’re most definitely not a
friend to me and mine,” Marinette smirked. Her eyes shifted to the side where the lawyers waited.
“You’re up folks. I’m afraid you only get one of your targets though. You’ll have to catch the other
one down at the police station.”

The blogger soon found herself surrounded by lawyers holding lawsuits and cease and desist
orders from numerous celebrities and other big names, including the Wayne family and Marinette
herself. She sat in a stupor as her parents stormed up to the table from where they’d been sitting in
back; she stayed in a stupor when she was told that due to her actions in destroying the dress in
Gotham, she was expelled with no hope of returning to finish school the next year. The parents of
the rest of Lila’s court appeared near their own respective children and led them away, a lecture on
their horizons. The headmaster stepped up and instructed the rest of the students and teachers to
return to classes. Marinette moved over to Damian, slotting herself under his arm comfortably.
Chloé, Tim and Bruce were already with him and the five slipped out during the chaos.

*****

Three days later Marinette didn’t bother to stop by the bakery on her way out of Paris to see
her parents. She hadn’t been home in over a month and they hadn’t appeared to notice. At the very
least, they’d never called her to find out where she was. So, she slipped in as Ladybug the night
before flying to Gotham and left a letter for them to find at some point.

It took extraordinarily little time to settle into life in Gotham, Damian by her side. Chloé
followed a couple months later, having finished her own schooling while taking the time to pack
her things up. Tim had stayed in Paris with her when Damian, Marinette and Bruce returned to
 Gotham.

On the anniversary of when Marinette and Damian had crashed into each other, just after her
nineteenth birthday, Damian asked her to marry him while they were dancing together in the
manor’s ballroom. Naturally, she said yes. When she proudly walked herself down the aisle just
over a two years later, her friends were in the pews. Except Chloé. She was the maid of honor.

Jonathon Kent, Damian’s closest friend, was his best man. When the half-Kryptonian young
man had returned after a long mission to who-the-hell-knew-where, he’d been floored to discover
Damian had kept such a large secret. At first he’d been a bit hostile toward Marinette, thinking
she’d somehow brainwashed his friend despite what the family claimed. She’d quickly disproved
that theory and charmed the young man; teasing both him and Damian indiscriminately certainly
hadn’t hurt her cause either.

Chloé and Tim were engaged; their wedding was in two months. Nino had finally found his
own soulmate in Gotham. She was a sweetheart of a young lady who had been working as a
waitress at a club Nino had started DJing at the year before. Alix, Kim, and Max were obviously
still going strong. Max had landed himself a spot in the Wayne Enterprises research and
development department while the other two split their time between sports and becoming social
media influencers, choices that surprising fit them very well; or not so surprisingly depending on
one’s point of view. Marc and Nathaniel’s comic books had soared to popularity. Marinette and
Chloé had teamed up and taken the MDC fashion house to the top, eclipsing Gabriel and Chloé’s
mother.

Back in Paris, things weren’t so rosy. Lila ended up in prison for a long time while Alya had
ended up with so many lawsuits against her that she’d also served time due to the inability to pay
them off. When she got out, she was so far up on the blacklist in the journalism world that there
was literally no one in the industry that would even give her a job interview. Last Marinette had
heard she was working for Marinette’s parents. Her parents had eventually noticed their daughter
was gone; it had taken finding the letter to do it a good two weeks after she’d left Paris. When they
had called, she’d made it clear she wanted little, if anything, to do with them and that they were to
leave her alone until she decided otherwise. At first they’d fought her but Marinette had stood her
ground and pulled out so many examples of their neglect that the couple had caved and backed
away. The rest of Lila’s court, Marinette didn’t bother to keep track of.

Why would she? Her world was here in Gotham, waiting for her at the altar, his green eyes
locked on her own bluebell eyes as she walked toward him wearing a design she created.

Chapter End Notes

So...was anyone expecting that crap with Lila? I almost wasn't and I wrote it! I would
say 'Sorry Adrien' but I'm not because I'm an evil little bint. Mwahahaha. Its fun.

Summary of scenes that have triggers:

1. (scene in italics) The video has no sound and is in black and white. A couple is
shopping in a boutique when four people bust in. One threatens the employee, one the
couple. the other two start robbing the place. After a bit of maneuvering the couple are
able to subdue the gunmen and then their friends. They comfort the employee and call
 the cops before leaving.
2. Adrien sees Marinette and Damian kissing. Rants to himself about her belonging to
him and where her place is with a threat that she would be there whether she wanted to
or not.
3. The BIG SCENE. Adrien gets Marinette alone and doesn't take no for an answer,
tries to force a kiss, she knees his crumpled family jewels (which by this point are
probably shriveled but who cares?) and tries to leave the room. He trips her, she falls
out the door into the courtyard and draws attention. He continues his physical (not
sexual since he doesn't try to even kiss her again) assault, she asserts she doesn't like
him and never did, she gets free. He repeats, so does she. He attacks, she knocks his
ass out. Cops are called and Damian arrives. Lots of swearing by Marinette in this
scene.

Anyone else want the dresses Mari and Chloe wore for this Gala? Cause I do. Never
wear them though...dressing up where I live is usually a pair of jeans with no holes and
a nice shirt for most people. #pout

I am still working on another fic...no timeline on when it will be done. Current section
I'm in is being a pickle. I've rewritten the same scene five times and it STILL isn't
working right. It is a Daminette so you'll be able to find it under the same main ship
tag as this one.

End Notes

Translations: courtesy of either google translate or the translator in my word program. Let
me know if they're wrong please!
mi amor: my love (Spanish)
mi alma: my soul (Spanish)
cara mia: my dear (technically dear my?) (Italian)

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!