Chapter 11: Recovery Period
Ladybug and Cat Noir soon found out where they were being taken. As they followed Batman through the night-time streets of Paris, they saw that he was heading towards a nearby waterfront hotel, presumably the place he'd been staying in ever since he arrived in Paris. They recognised it, eyeing up the Hotel Le Louis sign that lit up to advertise itself in the darkness of the night. They had been to the hotel once before, enjoying their stay there much more than a stay at the Le Grand Paris hotel mainly because of the fact they didn't have to put up with Chloe Bourgeois while staying there. They supposed it was a good place for them to go after such a terrible revelation had come to light this night. The views of the River Seine would be comforting to the whole trio.
Batman landed on the roof of the hotel and let himself in through the emergency exit door set in one of the corners. Ladybug and Cat Noir followed him as the black-clad superhero led them down a flight of stairs that took them down to the corridors leading to the hotel's various rooms. Batman paused, making sure nobody was around, before moving silently down the corridor and entering his room. The French teens followed him in, looking around in amazement at the Dark Knight's room. The large amount of space, the enormous bed, the beautiful wallpapers made this room look fitting for not just one king, but possibly several kings all at once. They could only wonder just how rich Batman must be to be able to afford luxury like this!
"Wow...look at that!" Ladybug cried.
"This one room makes my mansion look poor in comparison." Cat Noir muttered.
"How are you able to afford this?! I mean your suit doesn't look cheap, neither do all your gadgets, and you're able to afford the best room in the Hotel Le Louis!" Ladybug exclaimed wildly.
"Let's just say that I've got enough, that's all you need to know." Batman said bluntly, "Given the luxuries and the amenities we have here, you'll be able to recuperate in five-star comfort. I thought you two deserved the best after...tonight's terrible revelations." he said, being careful about bringing up Hawk Moth's true identity again.
"It's wonderful Batman, thanks for bringing us here." the insect-themed heroine said brightly, "Given how late it is, we may need to sleep here tonight too. You OK with that?"
"It's not a problem at all." Batman said softly, "I've got room to spare so you'll be fine sleeping here too."
Ladybug smiled brightly and gave him a small nod.
"We're very grateful for this. Thank you, Batman." she said in a kind tone, to which Chat Noir offered a weak, yet genuine, smile.
"I second that." he said quietly, getting a curt nod from the Dark Knight, who then turned towards the door on the farthest side of the luxury room and headed towards it.
"I'll be in the room behind this door. Considering you know Adrien quite well, Ladybug, it's only fair that you comfort him alone." he said in his usual calm voice, though there was a hint of hesitance in his voice, almost seeming as if he wanted to say something else...but in saying something that he wanted to say under these circumstances would require Bruce Wayne, but Batman wasn't sure if he was really needed. Not yet at least.
Soon, the vigilante had left the room with only the sound of the door closing echoing throughout the room. A moment of silence filled the air, making the atmosphere a little tense. But both French superheroes knew the silence had to be broken in some way. And Ladybug knew very well how to approach the matter.
Sitting down beside her fellow masked friend, Ladybug curled her fingers around his hand, drawing Chat's attention and receiving his eye contact. Only sadness clouded those bright green eyes of his, but she was determined to wash that negative feeling away. She took hold of his hand and smoothed it, eyeing him softly.
"Chat...Adrien? D'ya mind if I take your ring off?" she asked softly.
She gotten a small shrug off her feline crime fighter, who glumly spoke.
"You know who I am now, so I guess it's only fair.".
With that confirmation given to her, Ladybug delicately slid off the silver ring from his middle right hand finger. The glow of green, dark magic sucked into the ring from his form and as soon as the ring reached his fingertip, the black costume of Chat Noir was gone, revealing Adrien Agreste in his normal look, his face still stained with tears and his eyes a lot more red than green. Plagg whirled out of the ring the split second it was removed, surprising Ladybug.
"O-Oh, wow! I...I take it your Adrien's Kwami?" she asked curiously.
Normally Plagg would be letting his ego get the better of him, he'd be all proud in declaration that he was the awesome Kwami ever and exclaim his name, before demanding cheese. But instead he gave a weak, comforting smile to Adrien, who was now looking at the red and black hand gently holding his exposed one.
"Yeah, I am. Normally I'm a bit more...laid back, but given what's just happened, I'm not gonna act like some douche. And really, Adrien needs you now more than ever." the black Kwami said in response, floating away to the windowsill to give the two some space.
Appreciating the Kwami's wise actions and words, Ladybug turned to Adrien and felt a little nervous. Sure,nit fully sunken in that Adrien was Chat Noir the whole time, but she now wasn't sure over how to approach him full on, especially on a subject as huge as this.
"So...you're Cat Noir huh?" Ladybug said meekly, "Heh, heh...I never would've guessed. In fact, nobody would've guessed! Although I remember Alya once thinking you looked like him. I never would've thought you was Cat Noir Adrien."
"I suppose I did a good job on concealing my identity then." Adrien mumbled.
He looked away, his red eyes looking empty and distant. Ladybug shook her head sadly. One could barely even begin to imagine how it must feel for Adrien to find out his own father is Paris's biggest villain. Ladybug would never be able to put herself in the shoes of her love interest for she'd grown up knowing her parents for being loving, kind, supportive and fun. Adrien had a father who was cold and distant and now he learned more about him than he'd ever learnt in the past few years, and it had all been horrible things to learn. She couldn't even imagine what was going on in the teen model's head now.
"I'm so sorry about what's happened tonight Adrien." Ladybug said sympathetically, "We could never have guessed your dad was Hawk Moth and I know you're distraught by it. I can't imagine what it feels like but one thing I can say is that you can't let it eat at you like this."
"Easy enough to say Ladybug." Adrien sighed, "How can I possibly live with such horrible news? My own dad is Hawk Moth! How can I possible live with that in mind?! It's like...like..." he sighed for a moment before continuing, "...it's like my life's been a lie and what I know is a cruel joke! What if it turns out my best friend's a villain too?! What if it turns out you're a villain Ladybug?! I just don't know what to think anymore...is there a truth to anything I know or is everything in my life a lie?"
He sighed loudly again, his shoulders heaving as he thought back the urge to sob again. He now felt an overwhelming need to be looked after, by an actual parent who wasn't really a supervillain in disguise like his dad. For the first time in his life, he truly felt helpless and pathetic.
"I wish my mother was here now...she'd be able to take some of the weight off my shoulders..." he muttered feebly.
Ladybug had to fight off the tears that were threatening to cascade from her eyes. Adrien was really at a hopeless stage in his life, especially with half the things he just said. It was partially true, but only partially. And Ladybug was going to make sure that he was wrong. She took his left cheek in her hand and delicately smoothed it, gently turning his head towards her own.
"Adrien, believe me when I tell you this. Not everything in your life is a lie. None of your friends are villains and neither am I. You have friends who care about you very deeply. There are people from your classroom that actually see you as an inspiration." she said warmly, though she was doing her hardest not to cry as well.
She honestly felt like screaming her heart out to him, to tell him how much she loves him and what he means to her. Adrien looked at her in confusion, though there was a tiny light in his eyes. An indication of hope possibly...
"But how would you know? N-No offence." he said quietly, not noticing Plagg smile as he sat on the windowsill.
He knew very well who Ladybug was, he just wanted Adrien to figure it out himself. As much as he pitied Adrien at the moment, he found it adorable with how clueless he was to Ladybug's identity. Then again, it's their magic that stops them from noticing any similarities. Perception filters as some scientist who disbelieved magic would call it.
Ladybug smiled warmly "For starters, Nino thinks your very cool and was the first ever friend you made at school. Ivan wants to be like you, given how, um...different he is. Max thinks your a great gamer, Juleka and Rose think your very clever. Adrien, everyone at school thinks your amazing in so many ways. Everyone there loves you so much for who you are. Not because your a model, or for your looks, or your money, but they love you for the person you are..."
Ladybug trailed off at that point and put a hand over her chest, feeling herself getting flustered and tried to ease her breathing, leaving Adrien further surprised. Not only did each person she brought up really did like him, but how she knew all of this, it left him bewildered beyond belief.
"S-Sorry, I get emotional at times like this." Ladybug stuttered, trying to hide her Marinette side for the time being.
Adrien smiled a bit more brighter, finding her nervousness very cute.
"Well...you do have a point...they're probably one of the few things I have in my life worth caring about and vice versa..." he quietly said, trying to make a bit more sense but failing to do so.
Ladybug beamed back, pleased she was bringing some light back into the boy. She smoothed his shoulder with her other hand, easing his nerves "They're your real family, Adrien. They won't ever lie to you and nor will they betray you. Neither will I..." Ladybug said quietly, looking down at her feet shyly, her cheeks turning scarlet pink.
Adrien noticed this and smiled softly, taking in the sight of his partner blushing. It was a very rare occasion she'd blush.
"Is everything okay, M'Lady?" he asked gently, trying to shove out the sniffles he was dealing with.
Ladybug smiled shyly and tried to avoid his gaze, though unable to do so. She couldn't hide behind her magical earrings any longer, not behind Ladybug. Marinette was needed more now than the black dotted heroine. Deciding now that the time was right, Ladybug stood up and positioned herself in front of Adrien. A part of her had yearned for a time like this, a soft voice in her head begging for her to reveal herself to the boy of her dreams. And now that time had come. The boy looked up from where he sat, wondering what was going to happen next.
"You know how you had a horrible revelation today?" Ladybug said tenderly, "Well I can reveal something wonderful to you to ease the pain. This may come as a shock to you but you'll find it a more pleasant shock than the one before."
"And that is...?" Adrien asked, curious to see where this was going.
"Who the girl behind this mask is." the heroine winked.
She removed her earrings, her costume and mask disappearing in a pink flash that lit up the room. Adrien gasped and shielded his eyes, even though the flash wasn't that dazzling. He felt a twinge of excitement in his stomach. He was finally going to learn who his beloved Ladybug was! He uncovered his eyes and watched as the flash died down, revealing none other than the true identity of his love...Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The blue-haired girl smiled shyly at Adrien, the boy staring back at her in disbelief. Marinette, the clumsy girl who was always tripping over her words and making a fool of herself in school was Ladybug?! The girl of his dreams had been in school with him the whole time?! He supposed that was the beauty of the disguise. Ladybug's personality was so unlike Marinette's that nobody in the world could've guessed that she was Paris's lucky-charm-themed heroine! A part of him was glad to see this for finding out the girl he'd been fawning over for months was one of his school friends was definitely an improvement over finding out who Hawk Moth really was. But another part of him still couldn't believe it.
"M-M-Marinette...? You're...?! But...how...I...wow...!" Adrien stammered.
"You're not horrified are you?" Marinette asked worriedly.
"Horrified?! Why would I be? This is incredible!" the millionaire teen exclaimed, "I mean, wow, who'd have thought YOU was really Ladybug the whole time?! You was the last person I could've suspected! I mean, holy crap this is amazing!"
"You're...happy with this?" the teen girl blurted, wondering for a moment if she'd just died and this was what heaven looked like.
Adrien felt his heart flash in warmth a bit, a huge shred of happiness coming through it too. He shyly rubbed the back of his neck, making a small smile.
"I...well...I don't know. Even though I least expected it to be you...I don't know, now that I know...I feel as if I can see it all now. I mean, there's the voice, both of your actions and attitude...Ladybug is kind, very kind, and so are you. Then there was you getting nervous around me as both yourself and Ladybug...oh Marinette, why couldn't I tell in the first place!?" he exclaimed, a brighter look coming up over his tear stained face.
Marinette was now jaw dropped in disbelief. Adrien was...happy about all this? That...that couldn't be! She expected him to be disappointed that his lady was nothing more than a clumsy bluenette girl that was the daughter of some baker. At least that was how she saw herself. But this response? Him being happy about her being Ladybug? It was...just brilliant!
But instead of throwing her arms around him and jumping for joy, Marinette let the tiniest of smiles cross her lovely features as she faced Adrien.
"Then...this whole time...you were in love with me...I was in love with you...but we didn't know it?" she asked mostly in a rhetorical way. Adrien giggled shyly in agreement, to which Plagg groaned.
"Love square all over again" he grumbled, earning a shove from Tikki.
"Oh don't complain about it! This is a lovely moment!" she squeaked fiercely, getting a sigh from the feline Kwami.
Marinette then felt a little uneasy as a sudden realisation came to her head. Adrien was Chat Noir, who loved Ladybug. As herself and as Ladybug, she loved Adrien, but not Chat. But was Adrien still seeing her as who she was and not with the earnings? She now felt a bit worried. Her eyes wavered and it caught Adrien's attention.
"M-Mari? What's wrong?" he asked nervously, his voice dropping in tone again. Marinette glanced to the side nervously and suppressed a gulp.
"Adrien...do you...see me as me? Or are you still looking at me as if I was still Ladybug?" she responded in an equally nervous tone, leaving him stunned.
He could tell what she meant, but there was not even a slight way it was true. His lifetime goal was finding out who Ladybug was, so he could get to know the girl behind the mask.
He gently took her smaller hands into his bigger ones and caressed them gently with his thumbs.
"Marinette...ever since I met Ladybug, I wanted to find out who she was really...and it turns out that one of my best friends is her. I know you, Marinette: your kind, creative, clever, friendly, beautiful...you're one of the few things why I keep going to school everyday. Whenever your around, I feel so at ease. And to find out that Ladybug is you...it's just wonderful."
The French girl began to wonder if she had even heard Adrien correctly. She had to have misheard him, he did not just say what she thought he'd just said! Did he? It was all so overwhelming in the best possible way as she took all of this in. Beaming widely, Marinette finally did what she had wanted to do for months. She threw her arms around Adrien and embraced him tenderly.
"Adrien...you just made my night." she whispered gleefully.
"You just made mine too...m'lady." Adrien winked in response, patting the girl's head happily.
As the two teens hugged together, Batman peeked around the side of the door and saw that things seemed to be looking up. He hadn't at all expected Ladybug to reveal herself to Adrien but it seemed that she had made the right choice in doing so. As stony as his heart often was, even he felt somewhat moved by the scene before him. Young love was something many people couldn't resist the charm of, no matter what kind of person you were. He closed the door and turned away.
"Looks like Ladybug's given Cat Noir the thing he needs to get over tonight's events." he mused, "Pretty brave of her to reveal her identity like that. I commend her for that."
Little did he know, an old friend had listened in on the conversation as well. And the elderly man felt it was best he make his opinion get into the clearing.
"Master Bruce, I think Mister Agreste is going to need more than the love of his, um, lady friend to help him recover." Alfred's elderly voice spoke from inside the com, all the way back home in Wayne Manor.
Batman suppressed a sigh, taking a seat on the bed in the room and looking over his equipment and tech as he began to get it all up.
"Don't you trust them, Master Bruce?" The voice of his oldest friend came again, making the vigilante shake his head.
"I do trust them, Alfred, it's just what can I offer Adrien Agreste? How can I comfort him?" he replied, keeping his voice low so as not to attract attention from the other room
"You know the answer to that deep in your heart sir. He might not have suffered the fate you suffered that night in Crime Alley, but deep in your heart you know what to do. I'll let you think on it." Alfred replied, not a hint of sarcasm in his old voice, but now a soft tone of reasoning and wisdom. Batman pondered for a moment, thinking hard about what Alfred had said.
"I suppose, you do have a point Alfred." he murmured, "Me and Adrien could be considered similar in terms of what we are as people and superheroes. We're both incredibly wealthy and we take up costumed identities to fight crime. And we're both effected by something dark and troubling in a way. I've got my parents' deaths, he's got the knowledge that his dad is a supervillain. Maybe...there is something I can offer in return."
"There is indeed Master Wayne. I know it, and you know it too old friend." the butler replied with a smile, "So will you offer your two cents then Bruce?"
"I suppose it'd be cold-hearted of me if I said no." Batman agreed, "I'll go talk to him now. In fact...I've got some kind of idea on what I could do to make things better for him."
"An idea you say? What may I ask is that idea then?" Alfred asked inquisitively.
"I'll tell you afterwards. I'm gonna bring it up to Adrien and Marinette first and then I'll tell you." the vigilante responded, "I'll be back shortly Alfred." he added, switching off the communication device.
He exhaled and his hands rested on his own shoulders, just pondering on how exactly he was going to handle this. As mentioned earlier, Batman couldn't be of help to Adrien here. Bruce Wayne was in more need than his dark alter ego, and now was the time for him to remove the cowl.
Standing up and heading over to the door, Batman twisted the doorknob downwards and pulled the door open, finding Adrien and Marinette in each other's arms, talking quietly with each other. He had to resist letting the tiniest smile creep onto his face, given he was about to go onto a serious subject with the blond boy, who glanced up and noticed him, causing Marinette to turn to him as well. Both were quite surprised to see the dark vigilante back in the room, but that didn't stop a certain feline Kwami to fly away from the windowsill and squealed in delight.
"Oh my friggin goodness! The Batman himself is in the house!" Plagg exclaimed in joy, almost making the Dark Knight jump in surprise. For a split second he thought Catwoman literally had kittens!
That was when Tikki flew out from her hiding spot and grabbed Plagg by his little arms.
"Plagg, they're all having a moment here, don't bother them!" she berated, dragging him back to the windowsill, where they hid themselves behind the blinds. Marinette giggled along with Adrien, who looked at the near dumbstruck Batman.
"That's our Kwamis. The cat one is called Plagg, he's mine" he informed politely.
"And the red one is Tikki. She's mine" Marinette added, before her eyes widened in surprise as she realised Batman was now looking at her.
"It's fine. Didn't mean to be an eavesdropper, but I overheard everything between you and Adrien, Marinette." Batman quickly beaten her to it after recovering from that brief surprise. That was when he cocked his head as his memory became clearer from much earlier in the day.
"In fact, I think I've met you already." he noted, now leaving her more surprised.
"Get serious!" Marinette gasped, "I don't recall ever seeing you outside of my Ladybug costume! What makes you think we met earlier?"
"Remember that guy you bumped into on your way to school this morning?" Batman questioned.
Marinette paused for a moment, surprised at the question. Why would Batman ask such a thing? Adrien glanced over at her quizzically, wondering where this conversation was going. Could it be there was more than met the eye right now?
"Marinette? What's he talking about?" the teen model asked.
"This morning, I ran into somebody on my way to school." the baker's daughter informed, "Just outside of my bakery too. Was...was that you Batman?" she asked, the light bulbs in her head flashing as an idea came to her at last.
"Yes, yes it was." Batman confirmed, "I was in disguise so nobody would recognise me as I went to the airport to track down The Riddler. So in a way, we kinda met outside of our costumes."
"And just like how I never knew Adrien was Cat Noir, I never thought for a minute it was you..." Marinette mused, "So is it your turn to reveal your identity or something?"
"I don't do this often but given what Adrien's been going through, I feel that it would be better if I spoke to him as who I really am rather than the masked man that stands before you." the Gotham crime fighter explained, "You mustn't tell anybody once I reveal my face to you two. Promise me you'll keep this secret to yourselves, OK?"
"Deal!" Marinette said eagerly, "I wouldn't dream of exposing your identity!"
Adrien gave him a smile, "Your secret is safe with me and Marinette, Batman. Our lips will be sealed." he gestured his fingers going over his mouth as if he was zipping it up.
Batman made a small smile at this, before exhaling as he reached his hands up to his cowl. He gave it a slight wriggle to the left and to the right, hearing it make a clicking sound as it disconnected from the cape, before he steadily lifted it off. He would always remember the times of whenever he did unmask himself, with Dick, Jason, and Tim looking mind blown from the unmasking event...then Superman ruined their moment when he used his x-ray vision on him in their first first meeting.
But that awe inspiring feeling filled the room once more. The cowl came off and Marinette and Adrien could only look on in shock and awe as they saw the dark haired man standing before them, his deep chocolate eyes full of wisdom and slight nervousness as he rested the cowl between his hip and wrist. Adrien pointed a finger at him with a slightly confused look on his face.
"You...you look familiar...I think I saw a photo of you on a news website one time..." He trailed off, unable to put his finger on it.
Bruce couldn't help but smile in slight pleasure. Given they were young and weren't residents of Gotham, they were bound to ponder even more at who he was. Chuckling slightly, he gave them a little nod.
"My name is Bruce Wayne. Owner of Wayne Enterprises and citizen of Gotham City. Ring a bell?" he asked with a tiny smirk on his handsome features.
"Wayne Enterprises..." Adrien mused thoughtfully.
"I can't say I'm too familiar with it." Marinette said, shaking her head slightly, "But I definitely have heard the name before. It's some kind of big company."
"That's right." Adrien said, snapping his fingers as a realisation came to his head, "It covers many fields like medicine and technology. So you're the guy in charge of the company then...Bruce Wayne is it?"
"I am indeed." Bruce replied, "And I'm always proud with how well I manage to keep up the pretence that I'm merely a billionaire CEO of a big company with years of history behind it. Nobody ever suspects that I'm secretly the Dark Knight himself."
"It certainly seems to work, I mean I don't think anybody knows who you are!" the French girl exclaimed.
"Well, only a few have ever deduced my identity..." Wayne murmured, thinking bitterly of foes such as Hugo Strange and Bane, the ones who had managed to deduce his identity over the many years he'd been crime-fighting, "But I've never been publicly revealed. And I hope to keep it that way."
Marinette beamed at him and nodded in agreement.
"Can't blame you. That's what me and Adrien are gonna make sure of. Though, no offence Mr Bruce, but why exactly did you choose to unmask yourself to us?" she asked politely, keeping her hands behind her back to further show how respectful she was being.
Smiling at how she behaving, Bruce placed the cowl on the windowsill and looked at her and Adrien with a soft look in his eyes.
"Because I want to fully build a bridge of trust between us. You two are good hearted and trustworthy enough as it is, so it's only fair I reveal myself. That and Batman can't help Adrien get through what he's witnessed tonight." he explained as he then took a seat beside a surprised Adrien, who looked at him in slight confusion along with Marinette.
Bruce sighed and looked thoughtful as he glanced down at his hands. He was mostly comfortable with Alfred, Dick, Tim and Clark in talking about this issue...he just had to reach that line with Adrien, whom he looked at.
"Adrien, you and I aren't that different. I want you to know that." He said softly, to which the blond boy nodded "I can already see the similarities. Both quite rich, keep it a well hidden secret, got darker but heroic alter egos and fight crime." he replied "Almost two peas in a pod as the British would say. But if anything...I know what it's like, to lose a parent." Bruce responded, his voice going firm as his eyes locked with Adrien's, which widened.
"You mean your parents..." he trailed off and Bruce beaten him to it.
"No, they didn't turn evil, fortunately...but when I say I lost them...I won't ever be able to see them again..." Bruce's reply was filled with sadness as his eyes traced to the window, remembering those two awful gunshots in Crime Alley that changed his life forever. Marinette looked nervous at this point.
"If you two need a moment..."
"No!" both spoke in unison, though not in anger, but in reassurance.
Marinette stopped in her tracks, relieved to hear that the two male heroes didn't want her to go. She began to feel more part of the group as a result.
"Thanks guys, I was fearing I'd be left out given I can't really relate to your two's situation." the bluenette said uneasily.
"You could never be left out with us Marinette." Adrien said kindly, "You can stay with us. The three us could be like one happy family together for the night."
"Interesting way of putting it." Bruce said with a nod, "Can't say I've ever imagined what it'd be like to be a dad."
The two French teens snickered in response to Wayne's joke. They never would've thought that the man who masqueraded as Batman could actually be funny like this. It was clear to them just how much of a disguise Bruce Wayne was for Batman. Brushing off their humorous responses, Bruce's eyes taken on a serious look as he looked at Adrien, ready to reveal the all too well known part of his story.
"Adrien...when I lost my parents all those years ago...my world turned dark and I felt like I fell to the bottom of a pitch black pit, with nothing but darkness and mud when I hit the bottom. My mother and father...they were the world to me, but one night two bullets ended their lives on this world. I honestly thought I'd never be able to escape the darkness...but I did. That night exposed me to how horrible my city really was; I saw the true face of Gotham City that night, with it being cruel, cold, and almost evil. And it was only after my parents died that I realised others were ending up in similar situations to my own."
He paused for a bit and clenched the bed sheets, suppressing any sort of tear that would cascade down his face. He had to be strong for Adrien, and crying wouldn't help make it better. Feeling the heavy weight leaving his chest, Bruce opened his eyes and continued on talking to a stunned Marinette and Adrien.
"I couldn't let that happen to anyone. I vowed that I would make sure no one would ever suffer what I suffered that night. It could turn you into all sorts of things...so I turned myself into a demon of the dark to protect the innocent. And my promise extends to those I consider my friends. From Alfred, to Superman, and now to you, Adrien."
He gently patted the blond boy's shoulder and looked at him once more, a comforting softness on his face.
"Adrien, I don't want you to end up like me. You won't believe what else I went through to become Batman. Don't let the darkness of your father's actions fully consume you, Adrien. It'll make you have too much of a bleak outlook on life itself if you let it."
"I think Batman has a good point Adrien." Marinette added, putting a hand on the boy's other shoulder, "Don't let what you've learnt today tear you apart. You're still young and have some innocence left in you. All Batman wants is for you to hold onto that side of you."
"She's right." Bruce confirmed, "I lost my innocence the day my parents died. I don't want you to lose yours while you're still young."
Adrien fell silent as he took all of this in. His face looked distant and thoughtful as he mulled over everything he'd been told. It was surprising to see that he and Bruce had much in common, even down to being troubled by something involving their parents. He also thought that Bruce was a lot more selfless than he thought he was. Many stories he'd heard about Batman portrayed him as being completely stone-faced and cold-hearted, and not always in the best way. But the stories were wrong. Batman had a heart and seemed to know how to use it. And it showed tonight just how much he cared for the people he protected from the villains that threatened to tear the world apart. His heart-to-heart with Adrien had shown that very clearly.
The blonde teen thought about how the billionaire didn't want him to end up like him. Maybe despite what had happened, he could still hold onto his innocence and let some light shine on him. His dad being Hawk Moth didn't have to destroy him forever. He could be stronger than his father and not let his emotions transform him into something he wasn't and never wanted to be. That was how his father had ended up the way he was. Adrien looked over at both Bruce Wayne and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, smiling brightly at the two.
"I needed that, guys. I...I can't thank you both enough." he said gratefully, feeling that heavy sadness leave his chest.
"Aww Adrien, you're welcome!" Marinette squealed excitedly, hugging her crush tightly, "I'm always happy to help a friend in need!"
"And I'm always happy to help whenever I can." Bruce added, "Which is why I've got a proposition for you two. It's something that could further help Adrien recover from tonight's events."
"R-really?" Adrien stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing. Never in his life had he had somebody want to help him and make him happy like this since his mother had disappeared. It was really amazing to be getting so much generosity from two different people in one night!
"Really." the secret crime fighter said, "I thought it'd help if you got away from your father for a while. Maybe spent a week or two out of the country to let the horrors of tonight wash away. So I propose that I take you and Marinette home to my mansion, Wayne Manor, for a short stay to allow you to recuperate in peace. A short vacation if you will."
The two teens were so gobsmacked that they could barely speak for a moment.
"You mean...take us...to your home? Your home...in...the actual Gotham City?!" Marinette exclaimed.
"The very city you prowl through in the night to protect its people from crime and death?!" Adrien blurted in surprise.
"That is exactly it." Bruce confirmed, "But don't worry about Gotham. Wayne Manor is the absolute safest place you can possibly be. You won't be in any danger there."
Marinette looked a little unsure at first "I don't know, Mr Bruce...with all that's happened here, my parents might be a little unsure about me suddenly going off across the Atlantic..." She trailed off, raising a very good point. Bruce looked neither disappointed nor insulted. Instead he had an understanding look on his face.
"I understand, Marinette. If I were you, give them a ring and talk to them about what's happened. Don't tell them about me being Batman though." he said, his voice going firm as he finished his sentence.
She waved her hands in a reassuring manner, "Don't worry, I won't spill. Though I'll try to come up with a good story about how your involved in this." the bluenette replied, getting a nod off the unmasked vigilante.
"You could say I'm a business partner of the Agreste company and I've come to take Adrien away to help him get better." he suggested, earning a click of fingers from a beaming Marinette.
"That might work. Alright, I'll call them up and see what they have to say."
She quickly fished her mobile phone out of her pocket and dialled her parents's number to call them and inform them of the trip that Bruce Wayne had in mind. As she gave the call, Adrien looked over at the Wayne Enterprises CEO, his head in a whirl over the offer he'd been given. He hadn't been on many trips outside of France so this was a very exciting yet scary thing to think about.
"I could be one of the only kids in France who gets to see Batman's home turf!" Adrien exclaimed, "When you say it out loud, it sounds kinda cool! But given Gotham's said to be a hellhole, it could be kinda freaky too. But you say Wayne Manor's safe and of course I trust you on that. I shouldn't worry about meeting guys like Mr. Freeze or Two-Face while I'm there eh?"
"If you stay in the manor at all times until it's time to take you back home, you won't meet any of my foes." Bruce promised, "Most of them are locked up now anyway so we shouldn't come across any of them with any luck."
Adrien nodded agreeably. He began to wonder what his school friends would think if they could hear this now. He, Adrien Agreste, going to Gotham with Bruce Wayne himself! It was certainly something that not many people would ever get the chance to experience. He then glanced back at Marinette and smiled as another thought when through his head. If her parents approved, then he certainly wouldn't be going over the Atlantic alone...
Meanwhile, just on the outskirts of Paris, just at the end of the long river, a tiny little purple Kwami groaned as he steadily opened his eyes, which looked exhausted and near lifeless, resting in someone's hand. This was Nooroo, the butterfly Kwami and therefore the soul of the butterfly Miraculous. Nooroo was too weak to fully emerge when Chat Noir removed the Miraculous, hence why he didn't come forth when Hawk Moth was unmasked at last. His weak eyes gazed up into the cold blue ones of his master, none other than Gabriel Agreste. He scowled down at the poor magical creature he held, not caring at how bad his health was.
"Look at you Nooroo, such a pathetic, sad sight." the villainous fashion designer scoffed, "You can perk yourself up right this minute for I'll need to become Hawk Moth once more!"
"S-sorry master..." the butterfly-esque kwami grunted weakly, "You've...used me quite consistently lately...and haven't...given me a rest. I...need to recharge...before you can power up...again."
The response he got was devoid of any mercy or care as Gabriel's steel eyes hardened at his kwami slave.
"There is no time to rest you miserable creature!" he snapped, "Ladybug and Cat Noir know who I am now, as does Batman! They could be searching for me right now! I need to power up so I'll be able to fight them should they find me! I can't afford to waste time waiting for you to rest!"
"Sheesh, and I thought I was cruel! You're making me look kind and gentle in comparison!" hooted the voice of the ranting man's clown-themed partner.
"You be quiet Joker, you're just giving me a headache at this point!" Gabriel retorted.
Standing in the shadows nearby, relishing the harsh, unrelenting treatment that Gabriel was giving Nooroo, the Joker just snickered at his partner. He'd been doing that a lot since the two villains had escaped from the heroes at the Agreste Mansion and wound up here. They were hiding in a small house that was supposed to be occupied but wasn't. The residents that owned the house had gone on a holiday for a week and hadn't returned yet so The Joker and Hawk Moth were able to hang out here as long as they needed. And given all of France would be hunting down Gabriel to lock him up for his crimes as Hawk Moth, the two villains would have to hide here for a very long time.
"So, Gabe my dear fashion boy, doing all this for your wife, eh? Ha, and I thought me and Harley had a weird thing going in the love spectrum!" the Joker snickered, making Gabriel pinch his forehead in irritation.
He turned to the purple suited clown and pointed at the tired looking Nooroo he had clutched in his hand "I told you to find some food for this miserable excuse of a servant, Joker, haven't you bothered yet?" he said, resisting the urge to yell in case some neighbours could hear him. The Joker simply shrugged and pulled open a cupboard, exposing several snacks ranging from chocolate to crisps and packaged rolls.
"Help yourself, designer man, feed that little dolly of yours." he chuckled as he grabbed a chocolate bar and tossed it at the silver haired man, who caught it with an outstretched hand.
Nooroo made one of the most tiniest of glares he could muster, aiming it at the Joker.
"I'm not a dolly, you monster. Don't think your jokes...can hide the evil that you are. You're...even worse than Gabriel" he managed to get out, making the Joker shrug carelessly with the words having little effect on him.
"Blah blah blah, I've heard the same thing over and over again. The fact that it's coming from a plushie is amusing. Then again, I find almost everything amusing, HA HA HA HA!" he laughed, making both Gabriel and Nooroo cringe in annoyance.
"For the last time be quiet! We don't need the neighbours hearing us!" Gabriel almost yelled as he finished unwrapping the chocolate bar and shoved it into Nooroo's tiny little hands.
The poor Kwami was almost determined to not eat it, not wanting the give the power of the butterfly Miraculous back to Gabriel, who gave him a sickening glare.
"Eat it. Now" he hissed, making the Kwami gulp as he began to nibble away at the chocolate bar.
Sighing, Gabriel adjusted his glasses as he began to speak again "So what's the plan now then, Joker? I'm out of options considering the whole Paris will be searching for you and me, though me in particular." he pointed out.
The Joker just snorted as if Gabriel had asked him a stupid question. It was a curious sound, making him sound like a warthog more than a human being.
"Seriously four eyes, you ask me that as if I'm the kind of guy who has ideas! Do I look like the guy with a plan?" he jeered, "Ha, ha, ha! And I thought MY jokes were bad! Plans are for saps! I just do what I like and make up shit as I go! That's the fun part isn't it?!"
Trying not to lose his patience, Gabriel responded.
"Then how about you make up our next step as you go before we get any cops banging on our door?!" he hissed venomously.
"Eeesh, and I thought Batman was a grumpy bastard!" The Joker snickered, "You seriously need anger management classes Gabe-y! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"
After he stopped laughing, he suddenly dropped his voice low and lowered his smile, as if trying to look more serious. Gabriel hesitated, wondering what was going to happen next. He never knew what to expect when The Joker had this mood swings.
"In all seriousness though clothes boy, I actually do have an idea of sorts." The Joker purred, "We can run away from this country and hide somewhere for a while. I think my "beloved" Gotham City would be a good place to hide! And I'm sure there's something we could do to cause some chaos that might catch our enemies's attention. Something to draw them out and bring them to us so we can capture their Miraculouses! You interested now Hawk-y?"
Gabriel looked thoughtful for a moment, rubbing his sharp chin in deep thoughts. While he hated to admit it, Gotham City slightly unnerved him. It was the pure opposite of Paris, being dark, terrifying, full of crime and misery...but part of his soul screamed for seeing such a thing. To size upon the miserable people that Paris couldn't conceive...he could Akumatise more than one person in a day. To see more criminal masterminds than his own greatly fascinated him. That and luring his son and Ladybug out into the darkness of Metropolis's mirror city was a good plan in the process of things. But then another thought crossed his mind.
"Even though that's a rather promising idea, don't you think that's a little risky? Most of Batman's accomplices work there, and Superman is stationed across the river from Gotham." Gabriel pointed out as Nooroo continued to much away at the chocolate bar a little quicker, unable to resist his hunger pains any longer.
The Joker waved his hand casually as if he was brushing off some dirt on his clothes.
"Oh my dear birdman fashion man, as long as I'm around, Batman wouldn't dare let those kiddos come after me. He loves them too much. He won't even let Superman come after me, because he cares oh so much about his dear children and super friends, hehehe!" he chuckled, not noticing the interest grow in Gabriel's eyes.
"Hmm...yes. I suppose you do have a point, my dear nutty comedian. I noticed he came dashing to rescue my son and Ladybug when they battled you at the hotel." he noted sharply, getting a casual shrug off the green haired loony.
"Well, that's the whole thing between me and Bats. It's always been between me and him, as how it should be...that almost sounds wrong." the Joker quickly noted, before clapping his hands together and let out another laugh, almost startling Gabriel.
"Ha! Well what are we waiting for!? Let's book the flights and go Geronimo!" he declared, only for Gabriel to grip his shoulder.
"Can I remind you that we'd need disguises to get into the planes? Given you managed to reach Paris without getting noticed by security, I suppose you still have some form of disguises left?" He suggested with a cock of his bony faced head.
"Ha, ha, ha! Why Gabriel, do I seriously look like the kind of guy who only has one disguise?" The Joker snorted, "One disguise will only get you so far until people start noticing the coincidences and start forming the patterns. I have plenty more, though whether they meet your needs or not, you'll have to see for yourself. I'm sure I have an outfit that'll suit you."
Gabriel just sighed. At this moment, he didn't even care if The Joker wanted to make him wear something silly. He'd even willingly put on a dress if it meant getting past security! He just longed for this all to be over so he could get the Miraculouses and dispose of his annoying comrade. The Joker may well be a pain in the neck, but he knew for a fact that it'd be worth it if it would lead to him getting what he wanted. He ran a hand over his hair, seemingly making sure it was still slicked back.
"Then let's find ourselves a good disguise that'll get us past the airport security." he said softly.
"And then we'll be on our way to Gotham, where mayhem will ensue and Batman will be forced to come after us!" The Joker cackled.
The Joker then pulled open his coat began to pull multiple stuff out of his many hidden pockets, at which Gabriel raised his eyebrow at.
"Mind if I enquire on who exactly makes your clothes, Joker?" he asked curiously, to which the clown blew a raspberry.
"Pffft! Wouldn't have a clue! Now where was I? Ah yes..." He chuckled as he pulled out a vicious pair of tweezers and clicked them together, "Might need to tear out a bit of that hair of yours, dear old chap!" he cackled, making Gabriel smooth his hair nervously.
Nooroo couldn't help but feel he was going to be in for a treat to see his master undergo a nasty makeover...
Back at the hotel, Marinette was finishing her conversation with her parents on her phone. Adrien approached her from behind with a concerned look on his handsome features as she pocketed the phone away, turning to him with a bright look on her face.
"Everything okay with them?" Adrien gently asked, to which she nodded.
"Yeah, though they did say they'll come out after us in the next day or two. When I told them where we'd be staying, they said it be best they follow on. I can't blame them for wanting to get out of Paris for a bit." Marinette explained, her tone going quieter as she finished the sentence.
"Given what a crazy night we've had, I can't say I blame them too." Adrien said, hoping that what he'd said hadn't come out wrong, "The Joker, The Riddler, my dad turning out to be Hawk Moth...it'd make anyone wanna leave the country for a bit."
"That's partially why they're OK with me going with you and Bruce." Marinette confirmed, "I'll worry about them while they're there but I know that like us, they'll be safe in Wayne Manor. Bruce says it's safe and we have no reason to doubt him."
"Given he lives there, he obviously knows how much of a sanctuary his mansion can be." Adrien agreed, "I wonder what it's like?"
"Big, grand and glorious no doubt!" Marinette piped, "I wonder if it's like a palace of some kind."
"You'll see for yourselves when you get there." Bruce put in.
As Marinette had been on the phone, he'd changed out of his Batsuit and was now wearing a more casual outfit consisting of a loose t-shirt, jeans and a woollen waistcoat. The clothes definitely made him look more civilian than his Batsuit did.
"So I guess your parents accepted my invite?" Bruce inquired.
Marinette smiled brightly, giving him a nod.
"They did. They were a little unsure at first, but they'll be more at ease when they come on over to Gotham" she said kindly, getting a smile off the older man in the room.
"Well I'm pleased. I can only hope they'll be alright during their stay." he replied, getting a gentle wave off of Marinette.
"I'm sure they'll love it, Bruce. They are respectful people, I can tell you that." she assured, getting a chuckle off of him, glad to see such brightness in a young girl.
"Um, I just wanted to know though, Bruce. What's going to happen to the Riddler? I mean, how can you get him back to Gotham without bringing him aboard your private jet?" Adrien then brought up, rubbing the back of his head to further make how hard it seemed. Bruce glanced over into the room behind him and chuckled.
"Don't you worry, I've got a few of my friends coming over to collect him. No one will know exactly he ends up back in Arkham, not even Nygma." he reassured.
"That's handy for us." Marinette said brightly, "I'd honestly feel a lot more comfortable with that freak as far away from Paris as..."
She suddenly paused and stretched as a loud yawn came out of her lungs. Adrien yawned as well, something that came naturally given the contagious nature of yawning. It only just occurred to the two how tired they actually felt. It was very late and they'd been out for hours. The weight of the night's events had caught up to them and now they had an overwhelming desire to just sleep. Bruce could see this and he approached the two.
"You're both tired I see. Don't worry, you'll get plenty of rest on my plane." he reassured them, "There's a couple of beds that you two can occupy. The flight from France to Gotham is a long one so you'll have all the time you need to rest."
"That sounds great..." Marinette paused to stifle another yawn, "I really am ready for a sleep after all that."
"You don't mind us taking one of the beds on your plane right?" Adrien asked respectfully.
"Not at all. That's why I'm offering you two one." Bruce replied kindly, "Come now, let us be on our way."
Opening the door for them, Bruce gestured they go out first. Marinette took hold of Adrien's hand and gave him a loving smile, which he gratefully returned. As they made their way out of the room, with Bruce following very closely, closing the door behind him. Sleep was on their minds and the bed on the plane was calling for them, ready to embrace them for the night and give them warmth and comfort.
Tonight had been dark and full of grim events, but tonight, the heroes would sleep in comfort and luxury, just the thing they needed to let the horrors of the night wash away...
How nice of Batman to take Marinette and Adrien to his humble home for recovery. ^^
But there's no rest for the weary I'm afraid. The Joker and Hawk Moth are planning to come to Gotham! What will happen when they get there? One thing's for sure, Gotham's in for its worst nightmare...