Marinette groaned as she slid into her seat. She was not looking forward to the long hours they would be spending on the plane, not when Michael could fall asleep anywhere and Chloe and Adrien were in first class, leaving her alone to her worries. They'd prepared for this, sure, and Luka and Kagami could handle a couple fights without them while they were on the trip. But the teen couldn't help but worry that something would happen and they wouldn't be able to make it back to Paris in time, even with the horse miraculous.
Tikki had told her to go, though, and the little goddess could be terrifying when she wanted to be. She'd told Marinette, in no uncertain terms, that while being Ladybug and the Guardian placed the responsibility of Paris on her shoulders, her own health and well-being were also a responsibility she couldn't ignore. The trip would give her a chance to relax and have some fun, a much needed break in her normal day to day.
So, here they were. Tikki may or may not have also decided the trip was a good idea so that Ladybug could get in touch with Batman to ask for backup in Paris, with the akumas getting harder and harder, like- no, she wasn't going to think about it. She didn't need to stress herself out over what was done.
Beside her, Michael sighed. "I wish Luka and Kagami could have come." He said. "Won't be the same without the whole squad."
Passing by in the aisle, Alya stopped to glare at them, arms crossed. "Luka and Kagami aren't a part of our class, or even our school, they don't deserve this trip." Marinette held back a sigh. Once her best friend, Alya had become one of Lila's staunchest supporters in the years since the Italian girl had joined their class. Now in their second to last year of school, most of the class didn't really associate with Marinette or Chloe. They still pulled Michael and Adrien in like nothing had ever happened from time to time, though.
At least there was still art club. Marc wasn't in their class and didn't believe Lila in the first place, but Nathaniel, Juleka, and Alix spent enough time with her and Michael there to realize something was up. Marinette would never ask the two non-confrontational students to put themselves in the spotlight to stand up for her, though, and Alix was constantly torn between confronting Lila and maintaining her relationship with her two best friends. So, while they might remain passive in class, Marinette was glad for the support system they provided her with. And if they kept her updated with any of Lila's new lies about her specifically so that she had a heads up, well, that was just peachy.
Beside her, Marinette's brother scoffed at Alya. "All I said was that I wish two of my closest friends could have come on a trip with me to another country. This has nothing to do with who deserves what." Michael glared at the girl, who just huffed and continued down the aisle to her seat. He looked at Marinette. "Stop worrying."
"I'm not!" Marinette protested weakly, but he saw right through her.
"They're going to be okay. Viperion and Vervada can handle themselves, and if a situation comes up where they need help, they'll contact us. We've got contingencies upon contingencies, so stop worrying and relax and enjoy the trip." He assured her, voice low to keep others from overhearing.
Marinette sighed. "I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask." He told her, settling in more comfortably for the long flight ahead of them.
Eventually, Marinette was able to relax. Luka and Kagami had been training hard leading up to their departure, and had been permanent wielders for some time now. With akuma attacks getting harder and harder, she and Chat Noir had made the difficult decision to not only bring on more permanent wielders, but to share identities among the group, making communication that much easier. Kagami and Chloe had had to take on the new identities of Vervada and Honeybee to conceal their civilian selves, but it worked and Paris was none the wiser. It had severely lessened their burdens for awhile, allowing Marinette more time to train with Master Fu for her role as the new Guardian, but then Hawkmoth had somehow found the man and he'd had to give up his memory to pass the miracle box to her to keep it safe, cutting her training short. Luckily, she had scans of the book Adrien had once taken from his father's safe, as well as a few tomes Master Fu had kept hidden in his parlor, and with the magic passed to her, there was some knowledge that also passed to her instantly.
Hawkmoth didn't let up when the miracle box slipped through his fingers. His akuma got more and more brutal, and the heroes were beginning to flag. It was only a matter of time before he would defeat them, hence Tikki and Marinette's plan to get into contact with Batman. They wouldn't want a lot of the team seen in Gotham, away from Paris, though, so they would be out very rarely at night during their trip.
Luckily for Marinette, she was able to fall asleep for part of the trip, only waking to her brother shaking her arm when they arrived at the airport. A bus was ready to take them to the hotel they'd be staying at, and the tired girl followed slowly as Chloe led her to the room they'd be sharing. The girl had gotten their room upgraded, so instead of two beds and a bathroom, they had two separate bedrooms and a small kitchen and living room area, as well as a moderately nicer bathroom. Marinette only had eyes for the bedroom though, and didn't even bother to change or take her shoes off as she fell, exhausted, onto her mattress.
Their first day in Gotham was pretty relaxed. They had the day off to get caught up with the jetlag and do a little bit of exploring, within a certain radius of the hotel, of course. They also were required to have a chaperone at all times outside the hotel, but Adrien's bodyguard, Guillame, had been deemed a suitable chaperone for the boy, so he, Marinette, Michael and Chloe were allowed to leave as they pleased. The other two chaperones of the trip were Mme. Bustier and Mme. Mendeleiev.
The second day kicked off their trip's activities. The class went for a tour of Wayne Tower, seeing as it was the Martha Wayne Educational Foundation that gave them the opportunity to go on this trip in the first place. Around nine in the morning, the kids all gathered onto the bus and made their way to the tour.
When they got into the lobby of the building, Marinette's hands itched for her sketchbook. She had chosen not to bring it in favor of a small notebook she could copy down any pertinent information in. This was, after all, an educational trip, and she had collaborated with the school and some of the foundation's people to craft the perfect itinerary that would benefit everyone in her class. Having noticed that gleam in her eye as she looked around the minimalist but elegant lobby, Adrien sidled over to Marinette. "I took some pictures for you, bug." He whispered.
"You're the best, kitty." She whispered back, slipping a little closer to him while the rest of the class was preoccupied with looking around.
Their tour guide came over soon, and the class shifted to follow the guy, who seemed not much older than them. Towards the front were Lila and the majority of the class, as well as Mlle. Bustier, while the art club hung just behind them with Mme. Mendeleiev. At the very back of the group were Marinette, Adrien, Michael and Chloe, along with Adrien's bodyguard. It was a little difficult to listen to the tour guide over Lila and the class' chattering, but when the tour guide realized that those in the back were paying more attention, he made sure to speak up for them, which was kind.
After an hour of touring and another half hour at a presentation in a conference room, the class was brought to a cafeteria for a complimentary lunch. The teens all split up, and the small group of friends chose a corner table in the back, away from the others. Surprisingly, the tour guide chose to sit with them after grabbing his own lunch.
"Your class always like this?" He asked, setting his tray down.
"Yeah, just ignore them." Marinette said, snuggling further into Adrien's side. They'd chosen the back of the tour so they could spend a little more time together, never getting much away from the class back in Paris.
"Well, it's their loss." The guide shrugged. "The goal of the tour is to get people interested and help them learn about career opportunities with us here at Wayne Enterprises, but if they don't want to take advantage of that, it's on them."
Chloe snorted. "Oh, don't worry, Lila will get them all the career opportunities they could ever want."
"Something tells me you're being sarcastic." The guide responded, taking a sip of his coffee.
"It's part of how she drew them all in." Michael explained. "She tells all these fantastic stories, says she knows all these people, and that oh, she'll definitely find a time to introduce you guys someday, but they're just so busy right now!"
"Ten bucks says she claims to know the Waynes before the trip is over." Adrien bet.
"No deal. She already claimed to have gotten us this trip on the plane ride over." Michael answered.
"You're no fun." Adrien pouted.
"And you're rich, model boy." Michael shot back.
"Well," the tour guide added with a sly grin, "I have it on good authority that neither I nor my family know any french teens named Lila. I'm Timothy Drake-Wayne, but call me Tim."
"I knew you weren't just any tour guide." Chloe said, looking up from filing her nails to pin him with a stare. "That suit is way too nicely pressed and high quality." Marinette sat up a little straighter in her seat.
"Now that you mention that, it is." She said, eyeing Tim's suit critically. "Where do you get your suits done?"
The guy laughed. "I honestly have no clue. Father and our butler tend to take care of that. I'd love to get something done by MDC someday, though. She's one of my favorite designers."
"Our class is going to her show later on in our trip." Michael said, shooting a teasing look at Marinette, who sank further into Adrien with a light blush. "Chlo's mom can't get there but it doesn't mean her daughter can't be there for her apprentice's American debut. MDC invited the class after she found out from Audrey we'd be around." Not exactly how it had gone, but still. Audrey knew she wouldn't be able to get away from New York for the show, but had asked Chloe to go in her place. Michael had suggested they invite the class, since the show had been in the works since they found out about the possibility of the trip, and since the class had won, they should invite them so that the four teens wouldn't have to sneak off for the show.
"I heard about that!" Tim said excitedly. "I have to see if I'll be able to reschedule some meetings and a business dinner, but I'd like to go if I can."
"It's going to be great. MDC is one of the best up and coming designers out there." Chloe preened. "After all, Mommy only takes in the best."
The conversation flowed naturally after that, though the teens let the topic change to ease the blushing of one Marinette, practically hiding herself in Adrien's chest. Eventually, the lunch break ended, and the tour continued for another hour before the class returned to the hotel.
"Listen, I'm just glad the dress code doesn't apply to us. Can you imagine me in a uniform?" Chloe asked. "Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"
Marinette laughed. "I'm sure you'd be able to pull it off, Chlo." She said, pulling her hair into her signature pigtails. "You know I'd tailor it for you."
"Of course you would and of course I would look absolutely stunning in anything." Chloe responded. "It doesn't make the idea of those uniforms any better, though!"
"Well, it's a good thing we don't have to wear them, then, isn't it?" Marinette asked. "We're only going to Gotham Academy for three days, they weren't going to make us get the uniforms for such a short amount of time. Now, c'mon, I'm up early for once and I don't want to be late."
Gotham Academy had a beautiful campus. The bus had let them off ten minutes ago, and Marinette was furiously scribbling in her sketchbook on a bench outside. Classes wouldn't start for another ten minutes, and her own class was keeping to themselves while the school's students milled about before they had to get moving. When the first bell rang, someone would come to split them off with their schedules and send them on their way to where they would be learning for the next three days.
Marinette was lucky to get paired with her brother and Adrien. She smirked when Lila was forced to let go of her boyfriend's arm and go with Mylene and Sabrina down a different hall. Gabriel was still forcing his son to play nice with Lila, but there wasn't much he could do when they were an ocean away, and Adrien was enjoying his Lila-less time. Guillame shadowed the three teens to the door of their classroom, opting to stand guard outside the door should anything occur. He nodded at them as he put one earbud in and relaxed against the wall. Mlle. Bustier and Mme. Mendeleiev would be in the teacher's lounge, catching up on grading and interacting with some of the school's staff.
After being introduced to the class they were joining, Marinette, Michael and Adrien made their way to the back of the classroom. A cheerful boy greeted them excitedly. "Hello! I'm Jon Kent, it's nice to meet you guys! I think it's super cool that you guys are from France. You can sit with me at lunch if you want!"
Lunch was very similar to the break they'd taken on the tour. Marinette, Michael and their friends joined the exuberant teen who'd invited them at his table, while the rest of the class chose to group mostly together. It looked like Nathaniel, Juleka and Alix had made friends with a couple guys on the other side of the cafeteria, though, so that was good for them.
Just as they were settling in for lunch, a scowling boy marched over and sat down beside Jon. His gaze swept over the newcomers, but he elected to ignore them and begin eating his lunch. Jon told them not to worry about his friend Damian, he was like that with pretty much everyone, and conversation flowed easily between the rest of them, the boy only occasionally interjecting but never joining the conversation fully.
Then Jon stopped speaking for a moment, tilting his head. "I don't speak french, but why is your class talking about Damian?" He inquired.
Damian lifted his head to listen as well, the four Parisian teens pausing to listen, too. Then Adrien let out a sigh. "Dating Damian Wayne, huh?" He shook his head. "That's a new one."
"I am not dating that harlot!" Damian ground out.
The boy in question gripped his silverware tighter, and Marinette reached out to set a hand on his. "Ignore her." She told him, smiling softly. "She does this all the time, and they believe her and buzz about it, but she'll be onto some other lie in no time."
"She does this often?" Jon asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over to where much of the class was seated, noticing someone had left.
"Like every second of the day?" Chloe asked. "Yeah, pretty much."
"What are you guys doing all the way over here, Adrien?" A voice asked sweetly. They turned to see Lila standing near the table, holding a cup of water.
"We're sitting with the Gotham student who invited us to join him and his friend for lunch." Adrien said tiredly, gesturing to the two boys across the table from him. "We're supposed to be learning more about American culture while we're here, what better way to do that than make some friends?"
Lila's face twisted for a second, before she pasted a smile back on. "Oh, well, you should come sit with the class, tomorrow!" She said brightly.
Adrien shrugged. "I can do that anytime in Paris. I like these guys, so I'll probably sit with them while we're here."
"Why don't you find some people here to get to know?" Marinette asked sweetly, glaring daggers at the Italian girl. "I'm sure they'd love to hear about all your accomplishments!"
Lila frowned. "Why don't I join you guys?"
Michael immediately swung his legs up onto the bench beside him, turning and scooching back towards Adrien. Chloe muttered about this being ridiculous but did the same, lounging against Jon as she crossed her legs and began texting Kagami. "Sorry." Michael told Lila innocently. "Our table's full. But the class looks like they're waiting for you."
"Of course." Lila grit out. She turned to go, but not before pitching forward and dumping her water all over Marinette. "Oops." She giggled and walked away.
Marinette groaned. "This is my wool sweater. Of course."
Adrien pulled off his overshirt, while Chloe was already moving around the table toward Marinette's side. The soaked girl traded her sweater to Adrien, and pulled the overshirt over her tank top, necklace swinging as she stood. Chloe ushered her to the bathroom to get presentable.
"Does she not realize you guys are dating or something?" Jon asked curiously. "Like, that was a lot, but you think she'd get a hint."
Michael snorted while Adrien sighed. "I think she suspects something, but the class doesn't really know Marinette and I are together." Adrien said sadly. "My father has Lila hired as one of the models for his company, and I'm forced to play nice with her at school and photoshoots or she'll complain to him and he'll punish me. I stick with my friends as much as I can, but this trip has given me a lot more time to spend with Marinette than I would get normally during the day."
"Only one more year of school after we finish this one." Michael assured him, patting his shoulder. He knew it hurt his sister to have to keep her relationship on the back burner at school, but they cared about each other and Adrien made her happy.
"Was her necklace a dog tag?" Damian asked. "I thought that was more of an American thing? I know Dupain-Cheng talked about being into fashion, but it didn't seem to be a matching accessory to her outfit."
"Yeah, these ones are American." Michael answered, pulling his own from under his shirt and showing it to the two boys. "Nettie and I are adopted, our mom was military. Marine Corps. These were hers, she left everything to charity when she died, had no family or anything else, but when she was killed in action, they decided to send these to us. We were one year old at the time. We love our parents, but it's kinda nice to carry this little piece of our biological mom, you know?"
Damian nodded in response. "I can see how that may be comforting. It wasn't until I was ten and sent to live with my father that I met him. Knowing your history has a certain satisfaction to it."