Chapter Text
It's hard to tell when this all started.
Did it start when Lila reappeared and threatened me?
Or did it start when all of my friends started begging me to do stuff for them, and then they refused to help me?
Or is it when my parents chose to believe lies over their daughter?
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Sorry, I probably made it sound like they started to treat me as if I was a monster. In truth they didn’t, instead, they decided one day that we “clearly weren’t spending enough time together” and my ‘bullying’ Lila was just a cry for help because “I couldn’t express my emotions to them because of Hawkmoth”. My Maman and Papa aren't bad people I guess, but they are NOT good parents. I mean they run one of the best Patisserie, so when they had me they had to make a choice. Their bakery and career or caring for their daughter. They chose their career {obviously} and when I was old enough they just kinda let me do my own thing. So when they started buying me things to 'appease me', or start closing up shop just to spend more time with me I figured out why almost immediately. I remember trying to figure out why they bought me the best sewing machine on the market or why they closed up shop to take me to a fashion show on the other side of town. It started to make sense when I saw Lila come into the Patisserie and so to get the full picture I eavesdropped on them. Lila had gone to them about a month ago to ‘inform’ them that I was ‘bullying’ her. They started by closing up the bakery and taking me to things, but once they couldn’t close up shop anymore without losing money they started buying me things to keep me appeased. Because apparently, they bought the same book on raising a child, that Mayor Bourgeois did.
This all sucked for me because Lila had turned everyone in the school against me. Well everyone except Luka, Kagami, Adrien, and surprisingly Chloe. She came up to me one day to rant about Lila ‘taking’ Sabrina, that she can only have one main enemy in her life, and that my status had been upgraded to a neutral party. About a week after that rant I saw Chloe’s father abandon Chloe on their special day out together. I approached her and we bonded over parental figures neglecting us and them just buying us gifts like it solves everything. Honestly, it kind of proves how much they care about us. And so Chloe and I decided to hang out and rant to each other, though she had me sign an NDA first. Apparently, Chloe takes stuff like that very seriously, who knew?
This past year has been very taxing on me, as both Ladybug and Marinette. If I could deal with them on their own it'd be fine, but no I’m the guardian and I can’t just quit. Though thankfully the most workload that’s been ‘given’ on me. Our class won a two-week trip to Metropolis and Mme Bustier decided to wait until after the trip for the class election {I’m pretty sure we all know why}. When we come back to Paris we will be holding another class election and everyone come up to me to assure me that they won't vote for me. They’ve gotten much bolder now that Hawkmoth’s been dealt this. Mme Bustier even had me stay late and scolded me by basically stating that “This is what happens when you don’t treat others properly” and “What happened to the Marinettes in the world?” and proceeded to ask what I would do without my job as class president. Like how am I supposed to respond? Oh noooo, what will I do without insane amounts of work and pressure being pushed on me? Oh, wait, live my life.
“Dupain-Cheng?! Were you even listening?” Chloe basically screeches into my ear, which pulls me out of the daydream where I was burning all the class plans in front of Mme Bustier {maybe she’d actually do her job then}. This causes me to fall off the class bench, which causes Chloe to start dying of laughter.
“Why do you do that?!” I shriek at her. She’s done this at least three times after figuring out that stopped paying attention in class {what? I already know everything Bustier is teaching}. Chloe holds her hand out to help me up.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out that much Dupain-Cheng. You didn’t rip your stitches right?” Chloe asks while pulling me off the floor. I just shake my head trying {and failing} to avoid thinking about why I’m hurt in the first place. It’s a little hard when Chloe’s own bruises and burns are right there mocking me.
“C’mon, we have to start packing, so we don’t forget anything.” I smile at Chloe hoping to change the subject. She starts to object, but she reluctantly agrees, pulling me out of the room so we can pack our suitcases.
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Flashback
(Three weeks Before metropolis)
Master Fu handed guardianship over to me after Miracle Queen {does anyone care that I didn't want it? Nooo}, and since I had no idea what to do I did my best by memorizing the grimoire. Evidently, Master fu was incompetent as it only took me a few weeks to find a spell that could locate a broken miraculous {It also explained creating a new sentimonster could break the peacock miraculous} or at least the area it is in. Unfortunately, the spell needed a potion that took months to make, and Chat and I had to fight off increasingly difficult Akuma’s with no help as our team was compromised. But on the bright side, Adrien and I started to hang out as friends more and over time my crush on him faded. Kagami and Luka started hanging out with us as a group, and I realized how much I missed group activities as Lila convinced everyone to not invite me. Around two months into the potion brewing {it needed eight months of tedious work, but it was hard to screw up}, I gave Luka and Kagami their miraculous back on the condition that they change their suit designs and change their aliases. Anguis {Luka: Snake} and Yong {Kagami: Dragon} soon entered the scene. Surprisingly Chloe approached me {as ladybug, not Marinette} to beg me not to replace Luka and Kagami as it was her fault for outing them to Hawkmoth. I explained why I couldn’t let them become holders and I decided to keep an eye on Chloe while during fights. She was the main person to try and help people out of the Akuma’s range and after she constantly helped others for a solid month I gave her a chance. She changed her look and name without prompting and took the mantle honeybee. I made Luka and Kagami permanent holders about two months before Chloe and during month six of her being honeybee, I made her a permanent holder. And finally, after nine months of waiting, the potion was finished.
When I cast the spell, we were told that the peacock miraculous was somewhere within a two-block radius of Adrien’s house. After plenty of coordinated sessions staking out the neighborhood, we all but confirmed that the lair was underneath the Agreste mansion. And then one day when we were stocking the mansion we caught the Akuma being sent from a butterfly window with Agrsete shouting "Fly away my little Akuma and evilize them!". How did we not figure it out sooner? After that wonderful display, we all met up to plan the attack on Gabriel. But before we could get anywhere Chat asked to talk with me alone.
“M’lady, done some horrible things to you, like ditching you in a fight because you refused to date me… That’s why I don’t feel comfortable being Chat Noir during this fight. I can’t hurt you anymore.” Chat explains once we are alone. I look at him heartbroken and confused.
“Why-why not?” I ask, my voice breaking. Chat pulls off his ring, and Adrien stands there holding the ring out to me. “Oh-”
“Because I am Gabriel’s son, and I’m too scared to find out if I’d betray you. Because I’ve never wanted to betray you… Plagg please keep her safe, she’s my friend.” Adrien hands the ring to me before going to climb off the roof while Plagg tries to hold in tears. I grab his shoulder.
“Adrien Agreste I understand that you don’t want to fight this battle, but after this fight is won your ring will be waiting for you,” I explain, “But once we find the door, would you mind holding the door for us?” I ask not realizing how cryptic it sounds until later. Adrien smirks at me and nods before jumping off the roof and heading towards the bakery. I head back to the team to give them an excuse for why Chat couldn’t fight alongside us. Everyone understood why.
Less than a week after Chat revealed himself to me, Adrien ‘stumbled’ onto HawkMoth's lair leaving the door open for us. The entire team came over to spend time with Adrien, well that’s what we gave as an explanation. Not that Hawkmoth would know that the heroes were here of course… I might be hanging out with Chloe too much. Adrien saw us, nodded at me, and turned in the opposite direction to explore that part of the lair while the team and I found a place to hide. We walk down a dark, desolate hallway with a single industrial-strength door. When we pry open the door {why was it locked!} I have to stifle a gasp of surprise. The first thing to catch my attention is the greenery, with a pod-shaped thing in the middle and to get to the green area we would have to walk over the metal catwalk. I led the way with Chats replacement for the battle, Queen Noir {I’ll give you three guesses as to who that is} guarding the back. We reach the middle and Yong checks around the foliage for good hiding spots. I look at the support structures to see if Queen and myself would be able to hide in the rafters. Agnius nods to me before entering the foliage with Yong and I point to a support beam before I start climbing to reach my hiding spot. Clearly, Queen Noire got the message as she was almost to the top of her Rafter when we heard footsteps. She scrambles into her hiding spot and I position myself to be ready to attack at any second. I take a breath I didn’t know I was holding when Adrien starts to walk down the catwalk and I take a good look at the person in the glass coffin before freaking out. I start debating with myself to stop him and I can’t decide Adrien reaches the coffin and places a hand on the glass.
“Mom…” He mewls out, and even though I can’t see his face I can tell he’s trying to not cry. I have to hold myself back from revealing myself to comfort my partner and I’m grateful that I cannot trust Alya or Nino anymore because they wouldn’t hesitate to comfort Adrien, even though we would lose an advantage in this fight. Gabriel’s shoes on the metal walkway clack and Adrien turns towards him giving the effect that he was protecting his mother from his father. Gabriel smirks condescendingly towards his son and begins to slow clap {as the condescending jerk he is}.
“I’m surprised that you were able to figure it out. Bravo Adrien, I honestly thought I hid it better than that. At least hidden enough from your oblivious eyes.” Gabriel chuckles as Adrien doesn’t even bother to veil his contempt for his father. He isn’t even fazed at the last remark Gabriel threw at him.
“I probably wouldn’t have figured it out if I didn’t live under your roof. Honestly, I might have figured it out sooner if you had been a better fa-” Adrien says, showing how much backbone he's grown in the last year before his father cuts him off. Even though I should be paying attention to the spat between father and son, why did I ever like him when he refused to stand up to his father… or Lila? Was I just that starved of love? WAIT, on second thought please don't answer that last one.
“This again! Why won’t yo-" Gabriel sounds exasperated… good. Then Adrien actually cuts the bastard off! Holy shit!!
“Yes! This again! I needed you after mom ‘died’ and you left me alone, wit-” As Adrien yells at his father I get taken back to all the times Adrien, Chloe, and I sat in Chloe’s room venting about our parents, while simultaneously trying not to get Akumatized. This is why when Gabriel cuts him off again I almost hit him over the side of his head with my yoyo
“SHUT UP!” Gabriel pinched his nose in exasperation. “I’m sorry for yelling at you Adrien, but you don’t understand what I have given up for you, for us. Everything I have done has been for us. And yes, unfortunately, I had to step away from your life for a small time to try and protect you. But that has been rendered void by your discovery of this place. As much as it hurts me to put you in danger, I ask you to join me. After we get those miraculous from those pesky teenagers, we will use their combined power to make a wish to save Emilie. After I- I mean we get that wish we can be a family again! Just me, you, and your mother….” Agreste holds out his hand to Adrien who refuses to meet his father’s eye, periodically wiping the tears out of his eyes.
“No… I refuse to help you, not even for mom.” He chokes out as his father looks at him with barely veiled hatred.
“Pity..” I nod to Queen Noire and I send the others the signal via text. “Nooroo, Dark wings rise!!!” “NO!!!!” The cry sounds like a war cry coming from five separate people jumping to attack HawkMoth all at once.
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The battle was quick but brutal, the luckiest part about it was that it took an hour at the most. I was unable to stop Hawkmoth from akumatizing one of his employees who he had angered before coming down to the Garden. He pulled out a sword from his cane and tried to stab Adrien only to be parried by Yong’s sword and I used my yoyo to pull him out of the fray. I had him take the turtle Miraculous even though he fought me about it he saved our lives many times. While I was arguing with Adrien about the miraculous Maruya and the Akuma had made it down to the garden. The Akuma reminded me of Todoroki Shoto from Boku No Hero Academia {Adrien had both Chloe and I watch it… it was ok} with the ability to use fire and ice. We had the upper hand for over half of the fight until Maruya called upon her miraculous and created a sentimonster with the abilities of the fox miraculous. It veiled the Akuma allowing for it to get the upper hand against Adrien by restraining him to the floor. Angius was taken out when Hawkmoth sliced one of the tubes carrying various gasses to Emilie’s coffin and a wayward flame hit the gas causing it to explode. Angius’s head was slammed on the railing by the explosion and a plethora of burns mark his body through the suit. I had the rest of us retreat to the mansion above as we couldn’t allow any more damage to become of the room, not with our teammates still in there. Yong was thrown through a wall trying to help me when Hawkmoth and Maruya separated me from Queen, using the opportunity to their advantage. Unfortunately, I was awfully injured and I had to use my lucky charm to retreat. While running from Hawkmoth I summoned the Fox miraculous and activated it while putting up a mirage so Tikki could recharge, ducking into Arien’s room. After checking to make sure the Mirage made it look like I was uninjured and in civvies I let myself take a breath of fresh air. At that moment Hawkmoth barges into the room, surprise showing on his face.
“Where is Ladyb-” Hawkbutt starts to ask me in all of his ‘glory’
“Haven’t you heard of privacy, asshole?” I shouted at him causing him to pause in his advance because he was so befuddled. “Or allowing someone to hide when their friend's house becomes a warzone? Yeah, I hear the commotion coming from downstairs! It’s hard not to hear explosions and warcries and shit. What do you even think you're doing, living in my friend's basement?” I yell at him trying to give off the vibe that I’m not using a miraculous at this very moment. I can’t tell if he knows or not because the next thing I know, his sword is at my throat.
“You would have been an amazing akuma, perhaps my winning Akuma. But you and my son are cut from the cloth Tch.” I grab the flute preparing to try and escape his grasp and he pulls his sword back before I can do anything. The surprise must have shown on my face because his face stretched into this sickening grin. “What a shame, I do hate to waste my materials…” He mutters as he swings his sword in an attempt to decapitate me. Luck is on my side as I jump back enough that he gashes my throat in a non-vital area. I use the mirage to camouflage my attacks with the flute allowing me to overwhelm him {Not the first time today that I am grateful for the training that the miraculous team trains each other in}. I knock him out and take the broach as my time limit causes me to detransform. Apologizing to Trixx for having to put him in the miraculous box immediately after I transform, finally take a breath when Queen Noire informs me of her retrieval of the broach. I tasked her with handing over Hawkmoth and his associates before calling my lucky charm to use Miraculous Ladybug to fix the damage.
Or at least that is what should have happened. Instead, the Cure ate through the concrete causing the mansion to groan. Queen looks at me with as much panic as I’m feeling and I have to convince her to Hawkmoth and Mayura to the police as I sprint towards the secret lair, only to stop short when Luka stands there trying to support a frostbitten Adrien as Adrien tries to support Luka who looks worse than when we left. I guided them out of the house, pulling the story out of them of how they were able to get out of the garden {turns out head trauma can’t keep Luka from fighting}. After limping to the ambulances outside I left them with the paramedics who would rush them to the hospital and I turned to ask Officer Raincompiux where Queen Noire and Yoko were. He didn’t even pause his reading to the rights to the terrorists while pointing at the building. I didn’t even realize that I was moving before I was in the building. I wasn’t thinking as I tried to find my friends before I realized that my earrings were beeping and I gave out a text to the other miraculous user’s that I had found Marinette and that I was going to go seek treatment for my injuries, I also stated that they needed to get out of the building before it collapsed. I was barely able to get a message sent before my transformation dropped with Tikki falling into my hands exhausted. I heard a shout at the same time as the groaning got louder and I ran towards the noise to see Yoko calling for me. I dashed towards her as I saw the roof start to collapse, hopefully pushing her out of the crossfire. I would have been crushed if Tikki hadn’t somehow slowed the slab of cement so it wouldn't destroy me. I felt the weight of the slab dig into my back and Kagami cry out in pain as the piece slowly crushed us. I tried to stay awake as long as I could but the pain caused me to pass out before we could be rescued.
End flashback
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Present-day [Days till metropolis trip: 0]
I woke up in the hospital asking about my friends and surrounded by my ‘loving’ parents berating me for my reckless behavior. After I found out about my friends the doctors insisted that I had to stay for about a week for observation before they let me go home. Chloe visited me looking like she got hit by a bus after surviving a house fire and told me about how she was in costume and that everyone believed she survived because they thought she fought as the bee heroine, before winking at me, and she slipped me Chat’s ring and Mayura’s broach. She figured out that I was Ladybug when I asked the ‘Marinette protection squad’ (no I did not approve that name) to all hang out at Adrien’s, the same day as Ladybug planned the attack. She found it Ridiculous, Utterly Ridiculous that she didn’t figure it out sooner, and also she thought Plagg could help Chat with whatever was going on with him. Honestly, only a few good things came with this experience, first was defeating hawkmoth, Chloe and I becoming official friends, and knowing that it was only miraculous users who got hurt. And luckily Adrien’s aunt let him stay at the school long enough to go on the metropolis field trip.
Right now I am sitting in the airport with Chloe on my left and Adrien on my right. Chloe is scrolling through social media and Adrien’s playing with his ring. And I am staring at my phone, looking at the text my parents sent me, trying to wrap my head around it without screaming.
Maman: Hey Marinette! I know you’re very excited about your trip and that you’ve worked very hard for it. Now if you are a good classmate and helpful to everyone, we’ll get you that industrial embroidery machine and a few bolts of that AMAZING silk!
Papa: I know we weren’t there a lot while you were in the hospital, and the whole altercation with HawkMoth must have terrified you, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to bully Lila. She’s a lovely girl. Please, at least try to become friends with her.
Honestly, I feel like throwing my phone at the wall. And to add to this I have to sit next to Little Miss Liar on the plane and possibly have to share a room with her. I hear them call for us to board and I wince as I stand up before holding my hand out to Chloe to help her up. She shoots me a grateful look as Lila calls out to me.
“Hey, Marinette! I’m so glad we’re plane buddies. How are you doing? I know that having to do something so strenuous after what you’ve been through, hurts.” She looks at me with fake concern showing on her face. At this point, I’ve decided to stop this war. Not by joining her but by asking for a truce. Alya steps in between us.
“Girl that is so sweet of you. Caring for Marinette even though she’s been so mean to you!” Lila smirks gleefully at Alya’s words. I guess to her that it shows her victory even though I haven’t conceded to it yet. Jokes on her, not only for the fact that I don’t care about this war and it’s just a nuisance right now (my classmates are just ignoring me at this point) and for her horrible fashion sense. I mean c’mon sausage hair and that stupid orange jacket. Kwami I’d be willing to pay her to have me commission another outfit. It could even be the same color! (well not the jumpsuit that thing can burn in hell, I mean black on it probably ruins the entire outfit)
“Well yes, we’ve had our differences, but I visited her in the hospital,” I rolled my eyes but didn’t correct as I didn’t want to be threatened by her attack dog. Plus to make this… treaty work, I’m going to have to agree with some of her lies for the first few weeks. Luckily Chloe and Adrien already know about this, and the only reason we agreed to do this was that Adrien’s moving in with his aunt who is moving her entire family {basically her, Felix, and Adrien} to the states, and Chloe’s mother is insisting that Chloe moving to New York with her even if it was only for a year. So I need to be as protected as possible in a school that hates me, and that can only happen if I convince Lila to LEAVE ME ALONE. In all honesty, I stopped ‘antagonizing’ her about a month before HawkMoth was defeated. The only problem was that I hadn't properly conceded that she ‘won’, which I plan to do on the plan. But I mean if she wants to lead the resource, sleep zapping sheep that’s her choice. I just want to deal with this rest of the school year and hopefully get into that art school in Gotham {I think? Uncle Jagged recommended it to me}. Oh, crap she’s still talking Focus, Marinette, Focus. “-nd after airing out our differences, I said I’d stop going after Adrien.”
As Alya starts to talk I send a silent apology to Adrien “Well that doesn-”
“I’ve been thinking about that Lila!” I cut Alya off a little too cheerfully. “I’d hate to make you feel bad when we just made up with each other. And in the hospital, I got to thinking, and lately, I’ve just been viewing Adrien as just a friend.” Ayla gasps mockingly betrayed by the wording I used. “Or like a brother figure, I just can’t fathom dating him anymore. But you still have feelings for him! You should ask him out! OOH, I can even help you pick out an outfit to ask him out in!” I squeal pretending to be excited at the prospect but I just want her out of that jumpsuit. But apparently whatever I said excited Lila, because she asked to walk with me while we boarded. Somehow I feel like the next couple of weeks are going to be a nightmare.
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Time skip [2 weeks later, heading home]
Well, I was right, the field trip was long and tedious, and surprisingly not because of Lila. We confirmed the treaty on the plane and I allowed myself to get some sleep. And unsurprisingly Rossi and I shared a room.
“I don’t really understand you Marinette, first you refuse to give, then you ask for a truce stating that you're willing to lie to your ‘friends’ as long as I stop lying about you in school stating that you can act like my friend which you proved in the airport. That’s why I accepted this truce, but what confuses me is this.” She gestures to the clothing that I’m shoving at her while I roll my eyes at the recap that I clearly didn’t need.
“Your clothing is a fashion travesty. I mean with your skin tone you could work with your jacket but everything else makes it look like you got a horrible spray tan and asked a kindergartener to pick it out for you. So I, a noted fashion designer, who Jagged Stone has asked for advice from, has picked out an outfit which will look good on you, while still allowing you still wear your favorite jacket.” I was barely able to explain why before she snatched the clothing out of my grasp, heading towards the shared bathroom.
“Besides, if it looks bad it will just paint you in a bad light. HAHAHA, I’ll see you downstairs Mari-darling!!!” I would pay her to never say that again.
“Yup, see you in a minute, Lila.” I exit the room before heading towards the elevator. “But nothing could save your sausage hair…” We had to leave the hotel immediately after Lila got downstairs so I wasn’t able to tell if she liked it or not. Well not exactly, I got a hint because I heard Alya exclaim how nice it was for me to do that for Lila and Lila responded that we becoming fast friends! Who knew, 'cause I sure as hell didn’t.
And since Lila and I are friends now, apparently I'm friends with everyone again. So I had to deal with a bunch of stuck-up people literally hanging off of me cause apparently, they didn't realize that I meant it when I said I was in excruciating pain. Meaning at least three of the lacerations opened and the bruises got worse, not to mention my lungs felt like they were on fire {yes I have a couple of broken ribs}. And as I’m dealing with all of this, on the third day this knock-off Joker kidnapped our class because "he was nostalgic" and he "just wants to make children laugh again". Yeah, cause I can’t help but be happy when there’s a gun to my head. I was a guest of ‘honor’ for my ‘bravery’ and the fact that he ‘wants to bring joy to a child so full of pain’.
“And next on our wonderf- why does the tiny child look like she’s about to fight me?” The Plagiarism of the Joke asks as I slip out of my restraints. I mean you gotta love being the guest of honor! {Note the sarcasm}
“Don’t assume I’m not.” I say in a deadpan voice which he laughs at. Like he hasn't learned the lesson to not underestimate his enemies.
I was done with this shit on the plane and then he shows up and does this stupid performance, so yeah I sucker-punched him after I freed myself. Not long after, Superman showed up and saved us, but he had to call in help from the bats because he didn’t want there to be any casualties. In response to me punching the douche, the Batfamily murmured about not letting B get ahold of the one… who is B? Anyway, we ended up spending the rest of the day touring the city, and then we spent the next week touring two major companies, Lexcorps and Wayne Enterprises. Unfortunately, we couldn’t tour the main buildings of Wayne Enterprises as we were not in Gotham {to avoid villain attacks, but clearly that didn’t work}. But before that, I had forgotten about the fact that the disappointing joker had aired his ‘show’ live and that all of Metropolis had seen me punch him. And everyone was whispering about me behind my back, again. I mean I had enough of it at home when I ‘confronted Hawkmoth when he threatened my friends giving ladybug enough time to recharge and give her the upper hand’ {Thanks for snitching Hawkmoth now everyone knows} so it was just annoying at that point.
My highlight of the trip was when we toured both companies we met both Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne and when I asked Monsieur Wayne why he wasn’t in Gotham running his company he just deflected the question. I saw that M. Wayne. And when we went on the tour of the Daily Planet, M. Wayne was also there visiting a friend {he was the living embodiment of the don’t be suspicious meme but I didn’t know why he was being so suspicious}, and he introduced all of us to his youngest son who is probably two years younger than me. M. Wayne’s son glared at us all with hatred until M. Kent’s son came up to us, then he just glared at us in contempt. Madame Lane met with Alya and explained that her writing was great but she needs to fact-check more. Best day in my life! And we were lucky enough to run into them on the last day in the park when this man (I was later told that he was Mme. Lane's father) came up to Mme. Lane and started an aggressive conversation, it got to the point where I politely asked him to leave her alone (unknown to her Clark Kent was filming this once she stepped up) and he started yelling at me. Mme Lane tried to get him to stop and he shoved her. I was done with him when he passive-aggressively attacked Mme. Lane and my feelings didn’t change at all.
So I gave him a left uppercut and M. Kent had to hold him back. Let’s just say I was a little bit surprised when Mme. Lane cheered for me when I did that. And I must have gotten extremely lucky as I was able to sit next to Chloe on the plane and she drove me home when my parents didn’t show up. Which is where I am now, knocking on the apartment door. I stand back as my Maman opens the door for me and the first thing I notice is the boxes. The second is my parents’ anxious faces.
“Maman, What’s going on with all these boxes? I mean there isn’t a for sale sign for the bakery?” I ask with bated breath, mind racing a thousand kilometers per hour. My Maman wrings her hands as she responds.
“We can’t do this anymore Marinette, I heard how you acted on the trip and we’re so proud of you.” She reaches out and grabs my face delicately, rubbing soothing circles on my cheek with her thumb. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “But it was too little too late. We’ve given custody of you to someone else, and we’ve pulled you out of your school.” She lets go of my face and walks towards my Papa and acts like she didn’t just destroy the bedrock of my life.
“What?! You-you claim you can’t care for me and you just PAWN ME OFF TO SOMEONE ELSE?” I ask, my voice breaking. My father looks furious at me.
“Don’t you talk to your mother that way! You’ve been bullying schoolmates, and sneaking off. We could barely take care of you before you started to act like this!” He bellows and I scoff.
“Is it at least someone I know then?” My mother looks hesitantly at me.
“No, you don’t know him personally, but he is a close friend of Jagged and he came to us. He has a history of helping troublemakers, I mean look at his son.” She laughs.
“WHAT!”
“Calm down Marinette, you're scaring your mother. Don’t worry we asked Jagged about him and he has Jaggeds approval. We agreed to give you three days to say goodbye to your friends but you won’t stay here.”
“His butler should be here about now, honey. Now don’t worry, we'll send your stuff to you.”
“B-but-”
“Sorry mon petite, but you have to go” My mother pushes me out the door and I can see a nice black car with an old gentleman standing there waiting for me. “We love you!”
“I doubt that…” I mumble as I make my way to the car texting Jagged to try and figure out who this guy is {and explaining that my parents told me virtually nothing}. “Hi! It’s nice to meet you, I’m Marinette!”
The man smiles while opening the door for me. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Marinette. My name is Alfred Pennyworth.”
As I slide into the car I get a text from Jagged. I check it as M. Pennyworth starts the car.
“Now I must warn you that Master Wayne was called back home on emergency business but one of Master Wayne’s wards offered to stay behind to meet you before we head back to the estate in three days. Now you have nothing to fear because Master Duke is a wonderful young man who is excited to meet you.”