The Hit on the Groom and What Became of It - Chapter 4/I'll never let you down (in an open casket)
As she hanged up, Marinette rushed to the doors and let her mother in. The previous night she spent mostly on working with Kwamis to prepare. Most were in agreement that she needed to act and not leave her kitty's fate to chance. Tikki protested for a bit, but in the end, she saw that there was no changing Marinette's mind and joined in on scheming. Except she had no way of tracking Adrien. Not… until she received the call!
Except now her mother entered. Sabine greeted her daughter by giving her a bone-crushing hug.
"I was so worried! When the police called I couldn't just sit there and wait!"
"Maman. It's alright. I'm okay. See?" The girl did break away from the hug and smiled.
"I know. But I couldn't help but worry."
"Maman… Adrien's been kidnapped."
"I know." Her mother's expression didn't reveal any emotions now.
"I… he's been miserable ever since that wedding mess, and now this."
"I know." Again, nothing.
"He's my friend."
"Not the love of your life?" Sabine questioned with a bit of amusement in her voice.
"No. He doesn't need another fangirl. He needs a friend. Someone who can support him. I… I wasn't a good friend before this…" She didn't reveal that she wasn't a great partner either. Chat hid things well, but from time to time his shell cracked. She should've seen the signs. She could've done something. Or at least do something with Lila. She had connections and Lila deserved a lawsuit or five.
"Oh, sweety. You were a great friend. You are a great friend. I'm happy to see you're not about to chase after some misguided love, but after friendship."
"I know I'm only… wait, what?" stopped working. If the problem keeps repeating itself, please contact customer service or the nearest Kwami.
"When I was fifteen, I dropped out of… school to explore the world on my own. It wasn't until a few years later that I met your father." Sabine said in a bit dreamy voice like she was reminiscing. "We had several adventures across Europe before finally settling down in Paris."
"But… Papa's a baker." Marinette protested. "I thought he was always a baker, like his father."
In response, her mother chuckled. "No. Your father had much more in common with your Nona than with his father. I met him when he was fighting in an underground cage-fighting club."
"Whoa…" Marinette's eyes widened. That was a story she never heard before. "So how did you two got together?"
"I will tell you some other time. The point is, I know that even if I took you to Paris with me, you would've run away to look for your friend."
"Maman!" For a moment, the girl wanted to protest. But then she decided that there was no point. "Yes… you're right. But I can't just let it happen! If the police find him, he will end up back with his father!"
"I know. And what'll you do about it?" Her mother had this mysterious smirk on her face.
"I guess… I need to be the one to find him. I will get him situated somewhere safe. Maybe stay with him for a bit. He's smart. And a quick learner." He mastered being a superhero faster than I did.
"Good. Then you have my blessing."
"I can't just abandon-" stopped working again. Contacting the customer service might be in order. Technically, Sabine kept hinting about it. Practically, Marinette would miss a clue even if she was holding a gun to its head. "I have your what now?"
"You can go. Save him. Find yourself. And maybe kick some asses while you're at it."
"Most parents would be worried sick about their not-yet-adult children running off to an adventure."
"You wanted to know how I met your father. The answer is I was the first to beat him in that cage." Sabine's smirk was replaced with a serious expression. "Of course I will worry, sweety. I'm your mother. But holding you back now will not help you. You're a strong young woman and to be fair, I'm not sure how we could hold you down. You have steady access to the rooftop and two years of parkour training."
"What now?"
"Did you honestly think we wouldn't notice you sneaking off through the balcony?"
"And you didn't even tell me?"
"It would be hypocritical of us." Sabine defended. "And if the worse came to happen, I had several… souvenirs from our travel around the world."
"Thank you, Maman. I promise I will come back; And call you often. Well, maybe not too often." Marinette already dashed to start packing.
"Of course you will. And don't get into too much trouble. I would hate to have to go and find you." Sabine threatened with a bright smile on her face.
"I'll try, Maman." The girl was only half-listening now. She couldn't waste any more time. She learned how to trace the call about one-and-a-half years ago when she was still a bit 'stalker-ish'.
Sabine watched her daughter with amusement. So many memories returned to her now. Youth mostly well-spent if someone asked her. The 'mostly' part came to bite her just that moment as her phone pinged. She quickly checked the message and frowned.
"I'm sorry, my little cupcake, but I need to go check it. An old friend turns out to be in town."
"I'll call you later!" Marinette called from where she was furiously working on her laptop.
When Sabine left, the kwamis swarmed her immediately.
"Your mom is so cool!" one of them cooed.
"And she's one bad-"
"Roaar!" Tikki scolded the tiger kwami.
"What's the plan, pigtails?"
"Adrien's call was made from within Gotham City. He's still here for now. I also managed to track him to Burnley."
"Didn't that mercenary you called mention some Lawton?" Trixx offered.
"Yeah. I did try to search him up, but the only one with that name that I managed to find is Zoe Lawton. Wait. There is more!" She beamed up. "An old article in some Mexican newspaper." She clicked on the link and read it aloud for her co-conspirators "Floyd Lawton, also known as Deadshot, was recently arrested after an assassination of a small group of smugglers. It is yet unknown if it was a hit or was it personal." The article went on, but there was nothing more of interest.
"So the guy's a mercenary too? That's good. He'll bring Adrien to you."
"Not so fast. I remember hearing about him. Deadshot is one of the few mercenaries who try to keep some resemblance of a code. He's also noted to be soft around children."
"Isn't Adrien almost an adult though?" Kaalki asked rather uncaring.
"Have you met the guy? He's a literal ray of sunshine!" Plagg protested.
"So… he won't deliver him and won't return him." Seeing that some Kwamis didn't understand her logic, she clarified, "I don't think that if he learns how Gabe treated his son he will be in any hurry to return him."
"That makes sense." The little being all nodded in agreement.
"So what's the alternative?"
"He could adopt him," Ziggy suggested.
"Please." Marinette dismissed the idea. "He's not Bruce Wayne."
"He could smuggle him out of the country."
"No. Everyone's looking for him." Roaar countered. "He would try to lay low somewhere."
"Burley is large and full of potential safe houses." Marinette started to think. "But there is also a large concentration of organized crime. Alone, we would have a hard time, but if we got them to help…"
"Is it wise to involve more criminals into your schemes Marinette?" Tikki asked skeptically.
"Don't worry, sugarcube. To catch a bird you need wings. To catch a criminal you need crime."
"I'm not sure that's how it works."
"What's the worse that could happen? I will go there as Seamstress. I won't even appear in person. Right, Trixx?"
"You can count on it." The fox kwami grinned.
"But… but…" Tikki wanted to scream her head off. Why did the previous guardian choose a juvenile criminal for her holder. Marinette used to be such a sweet girl. Where did Tikki go wrong?
It was dark when an eerie mist filled one of the less-than-legal clubs in Burnley. From among the smoke, a figure entered. She was wearing a godet-type black dress with a side-cut that reached to her belt. The dress was overlayed with a very visible deep-blue corset that pronounced her blue eyes. It had some intricate laces on it. She also wore a puffy-sleeved blazer (also black, but with a dark blue finish) with large and very pronounced cuffs. Around her neck was a white double jabot fixed to a choker with a large black gem surrounded by diamonds. Her long deep-blue hair was let loose and hung over her shoulder. A simple black-and-white domino mask hid her features.
As she marched, one of her legs shifted the fabric to reveal she was wearing dark-blue socks reaching above her knee and black leather boots. A knife was strapped to the right one and several leather strips around her thigh and knee suggested she had more weapons on her.
One of the men whistled.
"Looks like the entertainment arrived, boys!" Several cheered at that shout. At least until the man who dared to say it ended pinned to a wall with a rather large needle holding his jacket in place. It was also uncomfortably close to his jugular.
"I'm not entertainment." The Seamstress hissed.
"Then you're not invited." Several men got up, many were holding now-empty bottled which they turned into impromptu weapons.
"You will help me find what was taken from me." She demanded.
"Yeah? Or?" One of the men laughed before charging at her.
What followed next was perhaps the strangest carnage Gotham City has seen in years. The Seamstress danced between the attacks with almost unnatural grace and agility while stabbing the attackers in various places with large needles. None of the hits were life-threatening and most would heal within hours. The wounds were meant to incapacitate with minimal long-term damage.
By the time she reached the far end of the bar, almost every man was laid out on the ground groaning in pain or scrambling in fear.
"I am not asking. You will be rewarded for your obedience." She then disappeared into the back alley. One brave/foolish enough who still had some fight left rushed after her, only to find the place completely empty.
On the rooftop, Marinette let out her breath. She didn't use any miraculous for that one, but she kept Plagg's ring on. Chat Noir wasn't seen in some time, so it would've been easier to explain that the ring was stolen by a criminal. She would really need to thank her mother for all the training she forced on her ever since the Akumas started to appear, as well as the lessons during her childhood. Those were all only the most basic grunts tonight, but she got their attention. One of them would run to their boss. There, she could actually do what she planned.
Just like she predicted, some of the less injured guys left the bar in hurry and drove their bikes to another part of the district. They disappeared into a three-story building. The windows were boarded, but some light seeped through on the top floor, so that is where she climbed. Indeed, by hanging on the edge of the window sill, she was able to hear the panicked screams inside.
"...and then she just disappeared! It was like that damn Bat, only much more terrifying. She was so small, and yet there was this… this… aura of power."
Thank you Chloe for being queen B. Marinette stifled a laugh. Mimicking Chloe was the right choice.
"Probably another one of his useless brats." The boss dismissed them. Marinette decided that it would make the best impression if she contradicted him right now.
She wondered for a moment how to enter the armored building. She could rip the boards away and enter that way, but she was aiming for ethereal, not brute. In the end, she pulled a pair of glasses and put them over her mask.
"Kaalki. Would you please help me break into headquarters of a criminal organization to scare them into serving me?"
"How many sugar cubes is it worth?"
"Ten. No more, no less." Marinette had a small window of opportunity.
"You've got a deal."
"Kaalki! Full gallop!" The light enveloped Marinette. When it died down, she was still in her outfit, only now the blue accents were brown instead. The gem on her neck held the symbol of a horse miraculous. "I love magical clothes. So easy to maintain the image." Marinette muttered before a blue portal opened before her and she entered.
Inside, the five men (two who came to report, the boss, and his two guards) watched as the blue portal opened before them. The mist started to pour through it as well as through the boarded window. A figure calmly stepped inside.
"I didn't expect the Gotham criminal organizations to be so… cliche." She commented. Two needles sailed through the air and pinned the guards to the wall. Her horseshoe weapon waited patiently on her back should she need to use it.
"Who… who're you?"
"Me? Oh. I'm The Seamstress. I had business in Gotham, but a fool dared to double-cross me. I need to find him."
"Why… W-why shou-should w-we help… help you?" One of the guys from the bar asked.
"Oh. I'm not asking. I'm telling you that you'll help me." She informed. "I'm about to make you an offer you shouldn't refuse."
The boss was now shaking. Damn city with its damn overpowered supervillains. They think they can simply run things as they want. First Red Hood took out most of the top brass of the underworld and then this? Working on his father's farm was sounding more and more appealing. Then there was the shouldn't. The reference to the classic movie was not lost, but she said shouldn't. Not can't. Once more he remembered how Red Hood took over. Submit, or die. This was the same. She clearly wouldn't hesitate. He liked to think he could see those things.
"I'm waiting." The lady growled. "I'm not used to waiting." Channeling Chloe is actually fun here.
"Fine. You can have my seat. I'm going back to dad's farm. Just let me go and you can have them." The boss stood from his seat and motioned for her.
is not responding. Do you want to execute the process? Not yet.
She managed to keep enough cool to smile and take the seat, although she didn't even register what was that.
She would panic later. For now, tracking Adrien. "I need to find where Floyd Lawton, also called Deadshot, is hiding with my… asset."
"It… I will see to it, Boss… lady." One of the guys from the bar nodded very fast before rushing out of the room.
"I… will bring you the list of current assets." One of the guards informed and walked somewhere. They were used to aggressive takeovers. This was their third. Boss change, guards remain. This was honestly the first time the previous boss managed to escape with his life.
Meanwhile, Marinette finally realized what just happened. She really wanted to hit her head on the desk, but she was too afraid to show any signs of weakness. Why did she end up in this mess again?
Sabine Cheng was waiting for her plane back when an airport guard approached her.
"Lady Cheng?" Sabine's blood froze for a moment, but she refused to show any outward reaction at her past codename. "There is a man who wishes to discuss some… past debts."
Damn it. And here she thought that bald bastard would forget about her. He had several more suitable people. He knew the risks of angering her.
Then again, she knew not to anger him either.
"Lead the way." Her face was stone cold as she stood up.
Inside a comfortable private lodge sat a blad man in a suit more expensive than the yearly revenue of her bakery.
"Ah… Lady Cheng. I'm so happy you could've joined us."
Sabine looked around and noticed that there was another man there, standing slightly in the shadows. A man she came to despise just as much as Luthor. Standing there was Gabriel Agreste.
"I can't return the pleasure, Luthor." She snarled, not letting her gaze drop from Agreste.
"Figured you'd say that." The billionaire laughed. "But it doesn't change that you came."
"Be quick. I've got a plane to catch."
"About that." Lex smiled. "I'm afraid you won't be on that plane. I need you to do something for me."
"Sadly, my calendar is full for the foreseeable future." She retorted coldly.
"Then you will clean it. Unless that is, you want me to tell my good friend the president about your little assignment for me twenty years ago. If I recall, your pardon didn't cover that particular crime." The man chuckled.
The only upside of this whole situation to Sabine was that Agreste finally realized exactly who she was. Or at least how dangerous she was. The deal she made ensured that Lady Cheng disappeared from everywhere but some people's memory. To her dismay, Lex didn't forget. And he still had that damning evidence.
She also knew exactly what was the job.
"I don't do jobs involving kids, Luthor." She seethed through gritted teeth. It wouldn't matter, but she hoped it would at least give him a pause.
"Adrien Agreste was about to be married. I think that can calm your conscience. He was all but adult." That despicable man dismissed her concern, as she predicted.
"I'm a little rusty. Don't you have someone younger? Someone who would actually want to do this?" Sabine deadpanned. She kept true to the deal she made for her and her husband's pardon and didn't do any… extracurricular work.
"Alas, the fact you're unwilling is why I need you. You see, the client, whoever they are, picked Agreste Jr. as a target in a… battle royale of sorts. It quickly stopped being about the ludicrous money reward. It's now about proving who's the best. And they won't stop until they deliver him to that mysterious Seamstress."
"So what do you want? I'm sure you could've bought some of them to drop the glory part." She really didn't want to do this.
"I offered to pay five times the price, but most of the competent ones want a shot at whatever that job is. A mysterious benefactor with no history, nonexistent in any database in the world, paying a small fortune for a simple job and offering further work? Doesn't it sound familiar?" Lex reclined in his chair and smiled.
"One job only. I want everything you have on me. And ten times the bounty." She noted his discomfort. "Don't give me that look, Luthor. You can afford it. My daughter's about to start a university." Sabine turned to Gabriel. "I must thank you for the idea. Homeschooling really helps when one is gifted."
"I'm sure we can come to an agreement," Lex grumbled. If he didn't know the quality of her works, he would've laughed at the price. Except he foolishly revealed that he was desperate.
"Oh, I'm sure we can." Sabine smiled. She was like a cat that just caught a mouse.