The Team Verse

AN: This was technically supposed to come before the reveal. FYI.

xXx

Marinette hadn't taken to her new yo-yo like she'd thought she would. It wasn't like her other one. That one, it seemed natural to use and she instinctively knew how to manipulate it to its fullest extent. With her new one, the weight felt different and the will to make it do what she needed it to was, to her, entirely strange, even if she couldn't explain how it was so different. She also suspected that Tikki and the memories of all the previous Ladybugs may have something to do with it.

It frustrated her enough for her to get a regular yo-yo and start practicing whenever she had any free time. While relaxing in the lounge area with the boys, while she walked down the halls of the building, before she went to bed, whenever she could spare a hand and a few moments. She didn't feel she'd improved much but Tikki encouraged her every moment she could, so she continued to practice.

She'd been working on a new yo-yo trick when an alarm went off, braking her concentration.

"Code red," Agent Possible's voice came over the line. "It looks like a ghost found a natural portal into our world and it's coming straight for us."

Marinette felt herself pale.

"G-ghost?" she asked.

"Danny just confirmed that it's a ghost called the Fright Knight. Get your ghost fighting gear and suit up. We're going out to meet him!"

Marinette blinked, then looked over at Tikki. "Transforme moi!"

xXx

"The Fright Night is one of the more powerful ghosts in the Ghost Zone," Danny told them, walking back and forth in front of the small office as drawn pictures appeared on the screen behind him. Apparently ghosts didn't take pictures well outside of certain places, like Amity Park, and they didn't have enough time to get a lot of good pictures.

Those actual pictures that they did have did not exactly fill Marinette with confidence. The flaming fire surrounding his helmet and the cape and the glowing green sword and the guy looked like he could bench press... well, Marinette wasn't about to get into an arm wrestling match with the guy if she could help it.

That, of course, was before Danny briefed them on the sword that would make any person relive their worst fear. Marinette was sure she wasn't the only one who paled and Danny definitely gulped before he told them that.

Once he was done, he asked for questions. Agent Kim spoke up in a no-nonsense tone. "Is there anything unusual about this ghost that you think we should know?"

Danny thought about that for a moment before he paled and nodded. "The only time I've gone up against the guy on his own was when I... um, was stupid and took his sword. He's powerful, but he's usually working for someone else. Usually someone even more powerful. I have a few ideas in this case... and I hope none of them are true."

"What is the most likely scenario?" Agent Kim asked.

Danny took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Plasmius."

Everyone had gotten a briefing on him seeing as he was one of the few ghosts in this realm... a very powerful one at that.

"That would be breaking his treaty," Agent Kim said coldly.

"If he had a reason..." Danny said with a sigh. "He'd definitely do it. But it might not be him after all. Fright Knight does have his own ambition as well."

"Well, let's be prepared for either eventuality," their team leader replied. "Danny, I want three duplicates keeping a lookout. One from above, one guarding any information the ghost may be after, and one keeping track of us and the compound from headquarters here. The rest of us will confront the ghost."

"You think 'e is after information?" Marinette asked.

Danny shook his head. "We don't know. He may just be coming for a fight. However, we do have files on all the ghosts here. If he wants information, it's either in Amity Park or here. Amity Park has a ghost shield."

"Yeah, why don't we have a ghost shield?" Randy asked.

"It wasn't in the budget this year," Agent Kim muttered. "This might be a good argument for getting one."

"I have a question," Jake spoke up. "He's dead, right? So what do we do? I mean, how do you defeat someone who's dead?"

"Just like we've practiced," Kim replied. "Except Danny's going to take the lead on this. Does everyone have a specter deflector?" The team nodded, all of them pointing to the belts around their waists (except for Danny of course). "Alright, we'll back him up with the anti-ghost gear we do have. Ladybug, only use a lucky charm if you see an opening or if we get desperate. We can't rely on it though. We have no idea if it will work against ghosts and I'd prefer you powered up." Marinette nodded. For now, though, we have to weaken him enough that Danny can get him inside a thermos.

"Any questions?"

This time no one answered her.

"Alright. Head to the AAV. Let's set up a place we can meet him."

Everyone nodded and headed out.

xXx

Initially the fight was pretty boring. Danny took the lead, goading the Fright Knight (who looked far scarier in person) into attacking him in the field they'd set up their ambush in. He'd been surprised, but too strong to take down with a surprise attack. Fortunately, he focused mainly on Danny and left the rest of the team alone. Most of the fight took place in the air, and of the four of Danny's teammates, only Jake could fly. Marinette spent a lot of time on the ground, hiding and firing up at the ghost to keep him busy while Danny tired him out.

Then the Fright Knight changed tactics. He managed to get a good hit on Danny, and then ignored him completely, diving for the only team member out in the open at that point: Jake.

Jake put up a fight, and his teammates – including Danny – rushed to help him, but the Fright Knight managed to cut his tail with the sword and that quickly, Jake vanished.

"NO!" several voices yelled at once.

Randy attacked the guy from behind, wrapping his scarf around the Fright Knight's head. His suit was magic. It shouldn't have burned. The flames were ectoplasmic. Apparently they burned magical objects. Also, apparently, the sword's power didn't seem to be stopped by the specter deflectors, even if the Fright Knight had been shocked more than once when fighting Jake.

Randy had to back off, putting the flames out as best he could and only managed to get pushed aside by Agent Kim before the Fright Knight could cut him too. She took his place and ended up vanishing as well.

"Ladybug!" Randy called. "I think it's pretty dire! Lucky Charm!" He flipped out of the way as Danny dropped beside the Fright Knight and resumed their fight.

Marinette agreed with Randy.

"Lucky Charm!"

At that point, a pumpkin fell into her hand. She blinked at it. "Seriously?"

"Ladybug! Over here!" Randy yelled.

Marinette nodded and threw the red-spotted pumpkin at Randy who caught it in time to turn and stick it up as a shield. The sword sliced right into it and stopped.

Seeing this, Danny yelled out: "To cease the storm, to end the fear, the sword must sheath, in pumpkin near!"

"What?" the Fright Knight asked. "NO!" And with that, he turned to run. He didn't get far before he was sucked back into the pumpkin, screaming and yelling the entire time.

Danny then pulled out his thermos and turned it on, allowing the bright vortex to surround the pumpkin, drawing it, the sword (and consequently) the Fright Knight into it. Marinette wasn't sure how the pumpkin itself fit in something that small, but she also wasn't about to question it.

Beside her, Jake popped back into existence, crouching with his hands over his head. She also glanced over her shoulder to see Agent Kim come back, looking pale. Immediately, she took her phone out and called someone.

Marinette looked back to the American Dragon.

"Jake?" she asked cautiously. He looked up, eyes wide.

"Ladybug?" he asked, head whipping around. "Where's the Huntsclan? And Rose? The Dark Dragon brought them back and I couldn't even transform! I swear they were about to kill me... Rose was about to kill me." He rubbed at his neck.

Marinette approached him carefully. "It was not real," she said softly.

Behind her, she heard Agent Kim practically yell out, "Ron? Ron! Oh, thank..." she faded off to something softer, but Marinette kept focusing on Jake.

"It felt real..." he said.

"That's what the Soul Shredder does," Danny said, his voice equally as soft. "Remember, we discussed it before hand."

For several seconds, Jake just stared at him. Then he took a deep breath and nodded. "Right."

"Jake, take a week off," Agent Kim said with a smile as she joined the group with Randy holding his mask at her side.

"Randy, Danny, are you guys alright sticking around for a bit while Marinette, Jake and I take off?"

"Moi?" Marinette asked, blinking rapidly. Right about then, she noticed that her earrings were on their final beep and she detransformed into her mundane Ladybug costume. "Why?"

"Well," the older woman said with a shaky smile, "I'm heading to France to see my husband, and I figured you might want to come."

Marinette couldn't help but light up at that.

"We'll only have about a day there, but as long as Danny's duplicates are good..." she glanced over at the white-haired man, who nodded. "Then I don't see why we can't take a little vacation."

Danny sighed. "I'll talk to Frostbite about having the infimap on hand in case we need to get you guys back here fast. He won't be happy, but he owes me a favor."

"Good," Agent Possible replied with a nod.

"What's going to happen to the Fright Knight?" Jake asked, still looking a little off himself.

"I'll talk to my parents or Clockwork about holding him," Danny assured him. "He won't be coming back any time soon, and I'm not about to just release him so he can come back for us."

Jake nodded, and smiled at Randy, who bumped shoulders with him.

"Alright. Let's head back," Agent Possible said. "But first, I want you all to know that you did a great job today." Everyone exchanged smiles as they all turned to walk back to the AAV (Air assault vehicle... apparently Danny's parents had named it). Then Agent Kim looked to Danny.

"Did he say why he came?"

Danny shook his head. "He wouldn't even answer me."

The older agent frowned. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Me neither," Danny replied.

"Randy, Danny, it looks like you guys are going to be doing some digging when we get back."

Both boys groaned.

"I'll give you next week off for it."

They quickly changed their tune.

Marinette smiled, glancing over at Jake, whom she'd fallen into step with, even going so far as to put a hand on his arm to help ground him. He didn't shrug her off.

"Oh, Ladybug, do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?" Agent Possible asked suddenly.

Marinette glanced over to Jake, ready and willing to tell her no if Jake needed her there. He smiled gratefully at her and nodded his head.

"Oui," she replied with one final glance at her shaken teammate. Then she rushed to her superior officer's side.

"So, I understand that you've told Danny your name."

Marinette nodded sheepishly, but happily.

Agent Kim smiled. "I'm glad you're getting to where you trust your teammates, Marinette, but I have to ask why you've told us your name, but not your original partner. I was under the impression that you trusted him and that you're pretty close."

The smiled on Marinette's face vanished and she looked down, ashamed.

"W-well, it's... um..." she glanced up, but Agent Possible only raised an eyebrow expectantly. So Marinette sighed and gathered her courage. "It is zat I... 'e is my friend and partner. We work well togezzer. I... didn't want zat to change."

"The dynamic, you mean?"

Marinette blinked, glanced down at Tikki, who she now carried in her hand and then nodded at the Kwami's tired translation.

"Oh, oui."

Agent Possible sighed. "Marinette, change is inevitable. It happens and while being where you are can be good, you'll never get anything better if you don't allow change to happen."

Marinette sighed. "I know," she replied, ashamed. "I... 'ave been working up ze courage to tell him."

The red-head smiled at her. "Well, it's not something I can order you to do, but would you consider telling him when we're in France?"

The butterflies in Marinette's stomach turned into a raging ice storm. But she still called Chat every other night, and had learned so much more about him already. She knew he wanted to know her identity, and she knew he'd accept her, but telling him would be like closing that chapter of her life – the chapter with Hawk Moth and her and Chat against the world. But it was selfish for her to draw that out, to let it linger.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head.

Agent Kim's smile practically lit up her face. "Good for you, Marinette. And thank you for being there for Jake. I think his darkest fear really shook him up."

Marinette's stomach settled a bit as she glanced over at her three teammates, all of whom were now bickering over who would ride 'shotgun' (strange American slang).

"What about you?" Marinette asked her older companion.

Agent Possible's smile faded. "Mine is very unlikely. It was simple... my husband and his family were killed in front of me. But they aren't that easy to kill. People have tried."

Marinette's heart stopped a little when she thought of anything like that happening to her family, so she reached out and put an arm on Agent Possible's arm. She also got the feeling that there was more, but she wasn't about to press it.

The red-head smiled and patted Marinette's hand. "I'm glad we got you, Marinette. You're a real asset to the team."

She couldn't help but grin in pride all the way back to base.