Epilogue: Back Home
The world of Themiscyra became a blur that seemed to shape-shift from one world to the next as Wonder Woman, Ladybug and Cat Noir were transported through the Boom Tube back to Paris. having gone through the teleportation devices plenty of times recently, Ladybug and Cat Noir were getting used to them so this journey didn't have them feeling off. Even as the teleportation concluded and they were no longer roaming through a Boom Tube, but back inside a room somewhere in Paris, they were quickly able to shake off a brief moment of disorientation that often came with teleportation devices. As the Boom Tube was over, Wonder Woman glanced around the room to see where they were. They were inside a building with a Chinese theme going on with its traditional artwork, Chinese style furniture and the familiar smell of incense in the air. This was just where Wonder Woman had wanted to end up.
"Master Fu's place. Good, the Boom Tube knew exactly WHERE in Paris I wanted us to go." she said brightly.
"Why bring us back here?" Marinette asked, "Adrien, I understand as he's staying with Fu after what happened with Hawk Moth and The Joker, but why bring both of us?"
"Didn't want to attract too much attention so teleporting here was the best option." Wonder Woman confirmed, "I wonder how long we've been away now that I think about it..."
She wondered around the room, her eagle eyes sweeping over the place for any sign of a clock. She spotted one and saw that it was still late at night. I had only just passed midnight, something that greatly surprised the Amazon princess.
"By Hera, it's only been a few hours!" she exclaimed, "I'd have thought we'd been gone longer than that."
"It sure feels like it's been ages." Marinette agreed, "All I've been through, it's like I've been away for a week! At least I won't have much to explain to mom and dad as to them, I won't have been gone for that long." she added, sounding relieved to mention this.
"I wonder if time flows differently on Apokalips?" Adrien guessed, "Maybe it felt like we were there for a long time, but a day on Apokalips is probably longer than a day on Earth so an hour there could be more like half an hour for us."
"Experience has taught me that time is never the same everywhere in the universe." Wonder Woman agreed, "Even this planet has different time zones depending where on Earth you are. I'm just glad that it worked out well for us so for your people, they won't have missed you both for too long."
"Still feels like I've been away forever." Marinette said dryly, "It is good to be back though."
"Well, look who managed to run through hell and back! It's the Amazon and the PJ Masks!" exclaimed a familiar British-accented voice from the other side of the room.
Wonder Woman couldn't help but smirk as her nose picked up the familiar smell of cigarettes that often followed this man's voice.
"Hello Constantine." she said simply, turning around to see him just standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets and Master Fu standing by him.
"So, you managed to galivant off to Apokalips and make it back with your heads still attached. I'm impressed. Usually, somebody comes back from that hell-hole with at least ONE body part missing." Constantine remarked, "No offence to the kids though, but they look like something the cat dragged in. Did Darkseid fuck you two up real bad?"
"The most I can say is that his torture-technician tried..." Marinette muttered, not wanting to relive what she'd been put through at Desaad's hands.
"Ugh, it was horrible. Like having a nightmare within a nightmare, especially with that Desaad guy. Hope we never go to that place again." Adrien said in agreement, putting his arms around his girlfriend to comfort her.
"Best you stay on Earth then, like I do. Space is bloody weird, I can say." Constantine bluntly replied as Master Fu looked to them both.
"I'm really sorry for what you both endured in getting that book back. I should've done something better in keeping it and the Miraculouses safe." he said sadly, seeing it in their eyes the amount of pain they endured on the hellish planet. Marinette smiled as she took the book off Wonder Woman with Tikki floating out beside her.
"Don't he so hard on yourself. Thanks to Grail finding you, we've gotten rid of Darkseid for good, freed his planet, imprisoned Grail, AND we got to meet Diana's mother! Gosh it was so awesome meeting another Ladybug that wasn't a future version of myself!" she said, her voice sounding more ecstatic as she handed him the book.
"Yup, Apokalips has messed her up. Grim one minute, then bright the next." Constantine observed, getting a glare off Marinette as Master Fu stared at her in shock.
"Hippolyta? I must say, that is a warm welcome to know you met a Ladybug like her. I've always wanted to meet her from all the tales Tikki told me since I found her in the temple. Couldn't risk it though, in case someone followed me." he noted, his voice full of gladness and fascination as he wondered what it must've been like.
"It's an awesome place. I think they'd be happy to meet someone like you." Adrien said brightly, smiling at the old Chinese man, who looked slightly shocked by Adrien's behaviour towards him...but he chose not to say anything of it, smiling in return as he was glad to see the boy in a much better mood now.
"Well, it would be nice to pass on my information to a group of people that respects the Kwamis so well. When you have time to take me there of course, Spirit of Truth." he said softly to the Amazon, who beamed in return.
"I'm sure I can arrange something, dear Guardian." she assured, glad to find another kind soul that was eager to pass some good onto her people.
"It was good we went to Themiscyra actually, as Hippolyta had something that could be useful for us." Tikki squeaked pleasantly, giving Marinette a nod so as to get out the next important objects she gotten from the Amazons.
"Yeah, it was good for me too. The Amazons are cool with me now, so I'm glad we went." Plagg added as Marinette brought out the mapped scrolls, handing them over to Master Fu, who looked amazed as he opened them up. Constantine whistled.
"Well, well, looks like we'll be going on a treasure hunt. I've got a metal detector back in London if anyone's interested." Constantine said with a slight smirk, getting a tutt off of Master Fu.
"Always full of sarcasm, even in the face of a new mystery. I have to say, this is a remarkable find. I thought it was only a legend such items existed to co-work with Miraculouses. Looks like I'll be busy for a little while then. I owe your mother thanks, Spirit of Truth, for keeping these safe, a bigger thank you to all of you, for getting the book back and saving so many more lives from those monsters." Master Fu said gratefully, eyeing them all with warmth in his eyes.
"A pleasure as always guardian." Wonder Woman replied modestly, "Although I do feel the need to inquire about Constantine's treatment of you." she added, glancing at him accusingly, "Did you give him too much trouble?"
"Me? Give the old geezer too much trouble?" Constantine gasped in mock surprise, "Why I'm offended! How could you accuse me of committing such an act?!"
"Since he prefers to be snarky rather than giving a straight answer, I'll just get to the point and say that surprisingly, we haven't been too bad together." Master Fu answered impatiently, "Although, we've been up to something of our own while you were all on Apokalips."
"Yeah. We'll want to talk to you about it at some point Adrien." Constantine added, now dropping his sarcastic streak to get serious a moment, "It's all stuff that concerns you after all."
"It is?" Adrien replied, curious to learn more.
"Sure is mate." the occult detective replied, "That and we've got something for you too. A little something to open when you two get a moment together. Consider is a welcome home prezzie if you will."
He then reached into his long coat and pulled out a box that he'd kept in there. He handed it to Adrien, who took it and stared at it inquisitively. He was really keen to see what was in it but Constantine had said to wait until he and Marinette were alone together before opening it. He looked back at Constantine with a look of gratitude on his face.
"Well...thank you." he said, "But what about that stuff that concerns me that you said you want to tell me about?"
Master Fu sighed and patted his arm, giving the blonde boy a sympathetic look.
"I don't want to hide anymore secrets from you, Adrien, especially after all that's happened, but me and Constantine have only just gotten what we were looking for. We'll try to examine what we've found and try to come to some conclusions that we can share with you. Just give us time." he said softly, giving the boy as much as he could with what info he could go on right now.
Adrien's face sunk a little but then he made a small smile as he looked down at Master Fu.
"Well...I'll wait. And I'm glad you've told me, don't have to be kept in the dark about anything else. Can you at least tell me it's good?" he asked, his voice sounding a little pleading as he finished his words. Master Fu's eyes lit up and gave Adrien another pat.
"Let's just say it's going in a good direction. We'll be getting the answers we've been longing to uncover." he assured.
Nooroo and Wayzz nodded in agreement with the Chinese man, the former floating up to Adrien with a kind smile.
"I promise you, Adrien, once we know for certain what we can find, we'll tell you. No more secrets." the purple Kwami said softly, full of gladness to see the boy was back in front of him. Adrien smiled brighter, sensing the honesty in the Kwami.
"I'll take your words for it. Both of you." he said pleasantly.
That was when Constantine rubbed his hands together.
"Well, lovebirds, you should get on back to that pink nest of yours above the bakery. Gotta get some sleep, sit back and be all open about the crap you've gone through, do some smooching, whatever it is teenagers do these days that don't involve phones." he said hastily, eyeing a blushing Marinette and Adrien as Wonder Woman took hold of their arms.
"Yes, Constantine, I'm sure they'll be on their way now. Before you two go, might want to take that armour off. Can't have anyone seeing you wearing them." she informed the two, who gasped as they saw their arms and legs' armour were still on them.
"Good check there, Diana! My parents would've been really suspicious then!" giggled Marinette as she began to take her armour off, as did Adrien.
Shortly, the trio of heroic travellers came down to the bottom floor and walked out into the dark and quiet night of Paris. Marinette sighed in pleasure as she leaned against Adrien, feeling the relief running through him too as they took in the lights of the city. Marinette honestly couldn't believe they were back home in such a short amount of time. Wonder Woman smiled with them.
"I never really took in the beauty of this city at night-time. I'll be sure to do so whenever I visit again." she said warmly, turning to the two lovers with a glad look on her face, happy to find the two in a loving moment again. Marinette's smile looked a little more sad though as she looked at Wonder Woman, with Tikki and Plagg poking their heads out of their owners' respective pockets.
"I guess this is where we say goodbye then?" the girl asked hesitantly, feeling Adrien gently tighten his hold around her.
Wonder Woman's face fell a little for the two teens had worked out exactly what was coming next. The Amazon wasn't always keen on saying goodbye due to being a very loving person, especially whenever she'd befriended somebody. She shook her head sadly.
"I'm afraid so dear children." Wonder Woman confirmed, "I can't stay in Paris forever. When you're an Ambassador for Peace or a member of the Justice League, you can never stay in one place for long. I'll have to return to the Watchtower to report to the League what we've been through together and that Grail and Darkseid are currently disposed of for now."
"It's such a shame you have to go." Marinette said sadly, "I've enjoyed getting to meet you and see your home island. If you'll excuse the pun, I think it's been wonderful getting to fight alongside you Diana."
"Just as awesome as getting to fight alongside Batman if you ask me." Adrien agreed.
Wonder Woman smiled pleasantly, touched that the two teens were thinking so highly of her despite the hell they'd endured at her expense. She pulled the two close and embraced them warmly as if she was a mother hugging her own children. Marinette and Adrien returned the hug, not wanting to let go of their Amazon friend for a long time. The warm, tender scene between them seemed to go on for an age.
"It's been an absolute honour to meet you two." Wonder Woman said warmly, "Much like the Teen Titans, you set an example as to how even the youngest of people can be the greatest of heroes. You're both highly courageous, skilled and selfless. Despite all you've been through, you never gave up and held on till the very end. Paris couldn't be in safer hands with you two."
"Aww, thank you so much!" Marinette cried graciously, swelling with pride.
"I really don't know what to say." Adrien replied, "All I can say is that you're every bit the heroine that people say you are Diana."
"I'm glad I didn't disappoint." Wonder Woman said brightly, "I hope that we can meet again some time in the future children. I'd love for you to meet my boyfriend, Steve Trevor, and to also meet the two Wonder Girls I've fought alongside with. Donna and Cassie would LOVE to meet you both."
"I'd like to meet them both. I bet they're awesome to meet!" Marinette said excitedly.
"And I'd love to see more of Themiscyra next time." Adrien added.
"If I ever get some time off, I promise you two that you'll get a full your of the island." Wonder Woman insisted, "Goodbye Marinette. Goodbye Adrien. It has truly been an honour."
Somebody else had suddenly decided they wanted to say goodbye too. Tikki flew up beside Wonder Woman and nuzzled against her cheek, her little face alight with a wide smile. Wonder Woman only giggled in response.
"Goodbye Princess Diana!" Tikki piped, "It's been great to see you again! You and your mother!"
"Pleasure's all mine Tikki." Wonder Woman replied, kissing her softly on the forehead, "I hope we see each other again very soon."
She broke up the hug and walked away from Marinette and Adrien so she could call down a Boom Tube without dragging any of them with her. Once she was sure it was a safe enough distance, she called into her comm piece.
"Chrome Stone, Boom Tube me to the Watchtower please." Diana ordered.
As a slight hum echoed around her, the Amazon turned on her feet and gazed at the two lovers as they stared back, smiling warmly at the princess, who returned the gesture with a slight wave, her eyes lighting up as a ball of light appeared over her head. Her smile never left her face as she continued to look at Marinette and Adrien, who waved back as the portal took in Wonder Woman, making her face from where she once stood. And shortly enough, the Boom Tube had disappeared into thin air, leaving just an empty space in front of Marinette and Adrien, both of whom sighed after a long pause, the latter wrapping an arm around his girlfriend, giving her a slight smirk.
"Guess it's time to get another princess home, huh?"
"Oh you!" Marinette snickered, playfully shoving Adrien, "Good to see that even outside of costume, you still know how to make cheesy jokes."
"Well Cat Noir was always who I really was." Adrien said casually, "Jokes and all."
"And I couldn't be happier." Marinette said kindly, giving Adrien a peck on the cheek.
With their arms around each other, they both set off for home. After all they'd been through on Apokalips, home never sounded so inviting for either of them...
Much later, Marinette and Adrien had finally made it back to the bakery. As they had walked home through the brightly lit streets of a nighttime Paris, it had suddenly dawned on them just how exhausting the whole ordeal had been and it was beginning to weigh down on them. They could hardly keep their eyes open and it had taken every last bit of strength in them just to keep walking and not just lie down and go to sleep right now. Once they finally walked through the bakery door, both teens were instantly greeted by the familiar faces of Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng. The large man and short woman embraced them both tightly as if they hadn't seen them in years. They were overwhelmed with relief and delight as they hugged the teens.
"Oh my gosh, thank goodness you're back!" Sabine cried, "Me and Tom were so hoping you'd finally come home Marinette!"
"When we heard what was happening with Wonder Woman, Ladybug and Cat Noir fighting that demon-woman-thing, we were worried sick!" Tom exclaimed, "Your mother and I were relieved when you called us earlier to let us know you were safe! I know you said it would be late but we had hoped it wouldn't be TOO late!"
"We...had to stay a little longer than we thought." Marinette said meekly.
"Master Fu's fine now." Adrien quickly mentioned, "And we're glad you two are OK too."
"So how did everything go? Did Ladybug, Cat Noir and Wonder Woman stop that monster?" Sabine asked anxiously.
Marinette and Adrien both smiled at each other before answering.
"Oh they did. We won't be seeing anything from that demonness again." the baker girl said brightly.
"Thank goodness!" Tom muttered, "Wrecking our city like that...that monster got what it deserved!"
"Say...forgive me Marinette but I've noticed there's something different about you." Sabine suddenly said, staring at her daughter as if she'd grown an extra head.
Marinette swallowed nervously. Had Sabine seen something in her eyes that told her what she'd been through on Apokalips? Was she showing signs of fatigue?
"Your hair! That's it!" the Chinese woman exclaimed, "You've got it loose. You haven't had your hair like that since you were five!"
Marinette sighed with relief, glad to see that her mother hadn't noticed anything serious. She ran a hand through her free-flowing hair, almost tempted to laugh that she'd forgotten about that. Her hair wasn't in pigtails like usual and hadn't been since the fight with Grail.
"To be honest, it looks quite nice like that." Tom complimented, "Maybe you should have it like that more often kiddo."
"You two haven't been getting...comfortable with each other have you?" Sabine asked awkwardly.
Marinette and Adrien quickly realized what the Asian woman had just implied, gasping in shock before they both shrieked with laughter at such a silly suggestion, blushing slightly at the same time.
"NO! Of course not! We're too young for that!" Marinette squealed, giggling hysterically.
"Gosh, what did you think was going on between us?!" Adrien cried, trying to hide his face behind his hand.
"Do forgive me, I only asked..." Sabine muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Like Marinette said, we're way too young! N-Nothing like that at all!" Adrien gasped, his face glowing red as the images came to his head, making him glow brighter than before.
"It all just gotten a little stressful over, that's all, felt the need to let it loose! Oh mom, next time I see your hair in a mess you ain't gonna hear the last of it!" Marinette squealed, giggling loudly as she poked her mother in the arm before turning on her toes and rubbing her face into the chest of her boyfriend, who closed his eyes shyly as he could feel her face glowing against him.
Tom winked at Sabine.
"I'll remind you to keep your hair tidy, don't you worry." he teased, getting raised brows from his wife with stern smile.
"Oh you better, Tom! You know our girl never keeps the teasing down when she starts!" she warned.
There was an awakward amount of silence in the air before the four of them burst out laughing and gave each other a soft pat on the arms, seeing just how much it escalated rather pointlessly, though Marinette still had her face buried in Adrien's chest so she hadn't pulled her head out yet, clinging hard to him. Adrien giggled and smoothed his girlfriend's back.
"Uh, you can come out now." he told her, only for Marinette to raise her head slightly to look at him.
"Um, how does my face look? Do I look like a strawberry?" she asked shyly.
Adrien giggled again and gazed down at her with a soft smile.
"No, but you've always been a strawberry to me. Sweet, lovely, little and good." finishing it with a wink, he continued to smile as she sent him a slight glare with her face brightening up in colour even more. Tom and Sabine giggled at this.
"Heh, got her good, dear! Can only imagine how things will get when you're older." Sabine laughed, making Marinette pull her head out with her face still bright.
"Sometimes I hate you guys, you know that?" she said quietly.
"Just glad you still love us, no matter what." Tom replied with a smile as he patted his daughter's back, making her sigh tiredly before her face twisted into a nervous smile.
"Oh would you look at the time, it's twelve thirty! We all need some sleep, y-yeah!?" she yelled, gripping Adrien's hand tightly as she bared her teeth in a slight mixture of politeness and menacing. Tom and Sabine weren't fooled by the look she sent.
"OK, I think we've had enough teasing for now." Tom said hastily, "It's clear we've all stayed up too long. Go on up and get some sleep kiddo. We'll see you in the morning." the large man said, kissing Marinette softly on the forehead.
"And you sleep well too dear Adrien." Sabine said kindly.
"Thanks Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." Adrien replied, "And don't get any ideas what'll happen between us once we get up there." he added quickly to make sure that no other dodgy interpretations could come to the minds of these two.
"We'll just be going to sleep and that's it." Marinette insisted, quickly leaving to get into her room, keen to just get this conversation over with.
Adrien followed her, sharing his girlfriend's determination to let the whole thing drop already. As soon as they reached the attic that was Marinette's bedroom, they climbed up inside and slumped on Marinette's bed together. Never before had they felt so relieved to get off their feet and on a bed. They lay side-by-side, allowing themselves a precious moment of silence to regain themselves and enjoy the quiet for a minute. Half an hour later, Marinette finally broke the silence by saying something.
"When I became Ladybug...I never thought that I'd have adventures quite like THIS." she murmured, "Meeting Batman, seeing Gotham City, meeting Wonder Woman, seeing Apokalips and seeing Themiscyra..."
"We'll be visiting Planet Oa next." Adrien teased.
"Don't tempt fate Adrien." the blue-haired girl retorted, playfully shoving the blonde boy's arm.
"Yeah, for now I just want nothing more than to get back into normal life." Adrien agreed, "Forget all about Darkseid, Grail, Parademons and teleporting to new worlds. I'll happily take a day of school right now."
"Oh yeah, you and me both!" Marinette exclaimed, "Especially as the superhero life's not seeming quite as exciting as it used to be..."
Adrien looked over at his girlfriend with concern. Those words did NOT at all sound right coming out of her mouth. Marinette wouldn't ever say anything like that. Had the whole adventure started getting to her? Had she been more effected than he thought. He turned on his side, his eyes fixed on Marinette's.
"What do you mean?" he asked, "Is there something bothering you?"
Marinette looked to the side and thought over what to say next. She couldn't hide it from her boyfriend, it'd get him worked up in a worried state. But it was clearly on her mind after all they went through. He needed to know.
"Well...don't get me wrong. I like what I do. Keeping the world safe, looking after people with my powers, but...all we went through on Apokalips, all the people that got killed, those battles we got into, and with Joker, I've...I've started to realise I can't take it for granted. I've gotta be better than what I usually am, if I'm going to protect the people I love." she said quietly, looking at him as she finished her sentence. Adrien's green eyes softened as he gazed at her, already putting it together what she meant.
"Does this have to do with what Desaad showed you?" He asked, his voice full of concern for his girlfriend, already wanting to give her all the support he could. She made a small nod with sad eyes.
"Yeah...you didn't see it, Adrien, but I saw all the risks I'm taking, everyone's trust in me, my identity and my parents...I can't take this lightly any longer. And please don't think it's your fault, it'll never be your fault. It's just after all this...I'm not going to take this superhero stuff with a skip in my step. So..." she trailed off with a sigh, not sure how to put what she was going to say next.
"So...what?" Adrien asked, interested in what she was going to say. Deciding she needed to get it out to him, she just said it.
"Do you...do you think I should tell my mom and papa?" she put it as simply and seriously as she could, leaving Adrien silenced for a few seconds. His eyes looked away as the very images of her parents finding out came to his head, and he wasn't sure he liked them. He wasn't up for facing a really angry Tom Dupain-Chang or a shocked and betrayed Sabine...then again, would they react like that? Given the type of people they were, they might take it completely differently.
Looking to her with an unsure face, Adrien spoke.
"I...I don't know...what do you think you'd achieve if you did tell them?" he asked her. Now Marinette looked thoughtful as she tried to find the right words to put it out. It didn't take long.
"Because if I do...there's a chance it could stop my fears from coming true. I mean, it means they could trust me more and be helpful in their own way, and we could plan something out together in protecting my identity if someone tries to unmask me, they won't have the press on their doorstep...but I don't know either. Please help me out, Adrien." she begged, grabbing her head in frustration as the thoughts kept going through her.
Adrien just smiled and put a hand on her arm to ease her nerves.
"Well...I don't think you should tell them now, given they know I'm Hawk Moth's son, they went to America and back recently, and Grail attacked the city, I think you telling them you're Ladybug right now wouldn't be good. I don't like keeping secrets either, but just give it a week, or a month, let everything calm down. That's all I can really say." he offered softly, seeing how much it was frustrating his girlfriend, who took on what he said and felt herself relax, seeing the sense he made.
"Yeah, guess now isn't a good time. Can't have them getting upset, because they obviously will. But when I do tell them, you'll be there with me, yeah?" she asked in a hopeful tone. His smile only brightened more as he smoothed her arm.
"You know I will. I'll tell them who I am too, so they can get the full picture. But another thing I will say is this: we can't let our fears control us, otherwise we won't get anywhere. I mean, I'm still terrified at what the public will do to me if they see me, but it's not gonna stop me from going to school or do what's right. And I'll gladly keep doing it with you, M'Lady." he explained.
Marinette's mouth parted in awe at what he said, taking in how assuring he was in what he was giving out to her. Yes, fear shouldn't control her, otherwise evil will win, and she knew she wasn't in this alone. She had him, and that was enough for her. She bumped her nose against his and gazed into his eyes.
"Glad you will, my kitty cat." she whispered, giving his nose a little kiss.
Adrien felt his stomach flutter and his eyes closed out of shyness. He'd gotten Marinette to relax, all thanks to his use of words, something he didn't have much confidence in. All he could do was smile at her in response, taking in her whole self. He was so glad to have her in his life. She was the light against all the dark he felt he was stuck in, and it was just her he wanted to be with, no matter what. Goodness he was glad...
"Hey, before you guys fall asleep, mind opening that box Constantine gave you? I really wanna know what's in there!" Plagg called out from behind, pointing at the box in front of him.
"Nothing good can be in there if it's from him." Tikki muttered, eyeing the box with distrust. Marinette and Adrien giggled at their Kwamis as the latter picked it up.
"If it's actually a portal leading to some mystic reality, I'll be sure to give it back." he said lightly as he then opened it...and almost instantly his face became lost of any emotion.
Marinette looked concerned. Well, at least they could confirm it WASN'T a portal like Adrien had joked. But what was in that box? She peered over his shoulder and put a hand to her mouth in surprise. In the box...was a blue scarf. Not just any blue scarf, but the one Adrien had received for his birthday when Hawk Moth had akumatized Nino into The Bubbler. Adrien picked it up out of the box and glared at it as if the thing was a poisonous snake waiting to bite him.
"Trust Constantine to mess around with me again." he growled, "He seriously thinks I'D want this after finding out who Hawk Moth was?! I don't want anything to do with my dad after all he did as that monster!"
"But...Adrien...that's NOT your dad's present..." Marinette whispered.
"What do you mean? He gave it to me for my birthday!" Adrien cried.
"No...I did!" the teen girl insisted, "I made it myself and gave it to you as a birthday present...but your dad took all the credit. Guess he was too busy being Hawk Moth to actually buy you a gift himself so made you think it was from him."
As if to prove her point more, she took the scarf from Adrien and showed her something on it. The blonde boy looked closely at where Marinette's finger was pointing. His eyes widened as he saw something he'd never noticed on it before. There, on the right corner of the soft clothing accessory was Marinette's trademark signature that he'd seen on her hat she'd designed for his dad's contest a while back. So it was true. It had been from her the whole time and he'd been manipulated into thinking otherwise! Even in death, Hawk Moth was still finding ways to hurt him. Adrien shook his head in disgust.
"Another lie...just like that bastard..." he growled angrily, "I was stupid enough to actually believe that that scarf was from him! Puh, should've known it wasn't! Marinette, you have no idea how sorry I am that I didn't realize this from the start! I'm glad I don't have to acknowledge it as a gift from him anymore but still, you gave me this out of the kindness of your heart and dad manipulated me into giving all credit to him! Oh gosh Marinette, I don't even know what to say anymore!"
He ran his hands through his hair as a bitter, sour feeling twisted inside of him, looking away from Marinette as if he was too self-ashamed to look at her. And he was. To have been so gullible and hopeful that his father actually got him something made him even more angry, not even stopping to ask Marinette anything about the scarf before...heck, how did he not even see the signature until now!?
Marinette started at him in silence with a hung open mouth, sadness in her eyes to see him in such a bad mood. More so because he was now laying into himself even more, but this time he was more vicious about it.
"Gosh I've been so thick...just...how could you have ever wanted to be with me, Marinette? I...I didn't notice your signature on this, I...I hardly noticed you back then...I must've been the most idiotic, ignorant, hopeless and gullible brat back then...I don't deserve you...I don't even know how much else you've given up and done just to make me feel better...to show how much you love me...I was right on Apokalips...you deserve someone so much better than me"
He hung his head low as he stared at his hands in disgust, as if he was looking at puppet strings his father had used to pull him around and was now just seeing how much else he was pulled into thinking so highly and hopeful of his father.
Marinette, however, pursed her lips together to fight off her own tears while Tikki and Plagg floated back, seeing things were about to get really emotional between the two. She grabbed her boyfriend's hands with a lot of strength that made him look at her with a slight wince. He could see fire in her eyes, fire that was ready to burn out the sour feelings he could feel right now.
"Adrien...don't you dare say that! There's no one else who I'd want to be! I let you think it was your dad because I wanted you to be happy! I was fine with it because it meant that much to you! And I was scared...I was scared I was gonna scare you with it...that you'd think I was just a freak with an obsession...I didn't say anything for you. And don't you think I'm gonna let you leave me over something like this...it's just like what you said just now...we have to go forward. And I'd rather do it with you than going with some weird singing teenager or an artist. You're flawed and so am I...it's called being human, it's normal. You made a mistake and it's okay. And I want to be with you no other way. I don't want anyone else but you. You hear me?"
Adrien took all of this in with surprise and adoration. He never could've anticipated that Marinette meant that much to him. Despite never really taking notice of her in the past, she still wanted to be his girlfriend. He had to ask himself what on Earth he'd done to deserve a wonderful girl like Marinette in his life. He was nevertheless grateful about it. If this had been Chloe, she wouldn't have cared and would've just dumped him for that. But not Marinette. Hearing her say all this to him and insist he wasn't a bad person for overlooking her just made him feel more grateful that of all the girls in the world he could be in a relationship with, she was the one.
He smiled in appreciation at Marinette, pulling her slowly into a hug as a single, happy tear formed in the corner of his eye. Marinette returned the hug, glad to see Adrien had taken her words to heart.
"M'Lady, I don't know what it is you see in me...but I couldn't be more grateful to have you in my life." the blonde boy replied.
"And I'm so glad that you're in mine." Marinette said happily.
"At the very least though, you've given so much for me and I think it's time I started giving back." Adrien said, running a hand down Marinette's back, "It's the least I can do to return the favour?"
"I think your smile's the best thing you could ever give me." the blue-haired girl said teasingly.
She wrapped the scarf around Adrien, happy to see him wearing it again and this time, in a way where her signature was visible. Now everybody could see it was her's.
"Still suits you." Marinette whispered, her lips very close to Adrien's as they leaned into one another.
Plagg rolled his eyes and looked away while Tikki watched on with an excited smile as Marinette and Adrien shared a loving kiss, their eyes closed and full of content as Marinette rested against him, both feeling the pulls of tiredness taking them to the realm of sleep, finally getting some much deserved rest after their adventure with one of the greatest heroes on Earth,
Others weren't getting any sleep however, for back at Master Fu's home, he and Constantine had laid out the scrolls of maps they had been given, with the book open and wide next to them.
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for ya, mate. Need some forged passports, you know who to go to." Constantine noted as he put a map piece down on the table.
"I'm not going to trust your methods of world travelling, thank you, John. I won't even use Swamp Thing as a tool of travel like you do." Master Fu shot back as he stared down at the maps in interest.
"That's because me and him have a special understanding of one another, might help you with that too."
"Oh I'm sure." the Chinese man responded, sounding less interested in Constantine's words
"Who do you think would've had the time to hide all these items, master? Travelling the Earth back then wasn't easy." Wayzz then asked after observing the map pieces.
"Indeed not, but if I'm right to believe this was from another Ladybug who did this, she must've had great power to achieve all of this. Hopefully the book might reveal more about which Ladybug it could've been." Master Fu pointed out as he then looked to the book.
"It could've been a complete unknown person, someone who kept themselves to the dark." Nooroo suggested.
"Probably." Master Fu replied as he began to look through the book.
"Still, you can't expect our Adrien and his girlfriend to go travelling around the Earth without coming up with some good excuses. What they did with Wondie today was difficult enough." Constantine said in a firm tone, as if he was giving Master Fu a lecture about anything on his mind.
"Exactly. Which is why I'm thinking of expanding our numbers in Paris, to try and build more trust and time we can use." Master Fu said as he finished going through the book, turning onto a two page spread, showing the Fox and Turtle Miraculous holders again, both just as detailed brilliantly in the old art of Asia. Constantine smirked as he looked at Master Fu.
"More recruits. A Justice League for Paris, eh?" he remarked, sounding amused.
"That is one way of putting it." Fu confirmed, "We're in very trying times now Constantine and Ladybug & Cat Noir cannot handle it all by themselves. They need some recruits. Paris needs more heroes to protect the world from evil."
"It's always how it works mate." Constantine agreed, "The more evil rises, the more heroes we need to knock them down again. I do wonder who's kids you'll be willing to throw into mortal peril with whatever Miraculous items you have lying about. Thankfully not the mayor's daughter since she's dead, can you imagine HER with a Miraculous?! Bloody hell, she'd be a bleeding nightmare with that kind of power..."
Master Fu hated to admit it but what Constantine had said pinched a bit of a nerve in him as it was one of the greatest guilts he had to live with as a keeper of the Miraculous, giving precious, powerful items to mere children and thus, putting their lives in danger. Anytime they got hurt or killed, it was all on him and he had to live with that, just like any keeper before him. Could he dare risk more children's lives for the sake of the world? Could he bear to risk have another minor's death on his hands? He was considering whether or not he should change his mind but his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"If you're some kind of demonic cultist, we're not interested in what yer preaching!" Constantine snapped rudely.
Both he and Master Fu received a surprise when the door opened and in walked...Natalie. Gabriel Agreste's secretary. The stone-faced woman seemed to have lost a bit of her composure for she certainly didn't look as cold and emotionless as usual. This time around, she looked...serious. Not the kind of serious that her job demanded, but the kind that meant something important needed to be told. Constantine narrowed his eyes at Natalie, a pair of distrustful slits peering out into her own orbs.
"So, Gabriel's little minion comes rushing to us." the British con-man sneered, "State your business and make it quick before I call a demon of some kind to get your running back to whatever squalor you crawled out of."
"Constantine, not so confrontational please..." Master Fu sighed, "So what exactly are you here for Natalie?"
Natalia spoke with her voice full of utmost sternness, more than what she carried when she talked to Adrien.
"Its about Adrien. I've got information about his mother, which I haven't disclosed to the authorities. Given your professionalism and use of the Miraculouses, I hoped you'd be more trustworthy with this information." she explained, her voice going quieter as she finished.
"You think I'm gonna trust some bloomin' liar when all she's done is help pick up after Gabriel in everything he did? How did Interpol let you go? Have a Miraculous of your own? Or is it some sort of hypnosis you use?" Constantine shot back, eyeing her up and down with a lot of distrust. Natalie's lips twisted as she scowled at the blonde man, clenching her fists in anger.
"I had no choice, okay!? Listen, there were times where I wanted to tell Adrien the truth! All about what his father had done, where his mother really is! I had to see that boy suffer everyday from his father's neglect, but I knew if I said ANYTHING, Gabriel would've gotten rid of me in any way he could! I've been treated as a mere obedient simpleton by that man enough, and I'm not going to get walked over by judgemental idiots who don't have the slightest idea of what they're doing anymore! This is for Adrien and Emilie, nothing else!"
Constantine looked slightly shocked by the outburst, only to raise his eyebrows in slight pleasure at what he just seen while Nooroo hidden behind Master Fu.
"Oh my, looks like your feathers got really ruffled then. What do you say to that then, Fu Fu? You are Adrien's legal guardian after all." Constantine said with a slight smirk, eyeing the older man in interest.
Master Fu sighed and nodded with his eyes closed.
"It seems I'm not the only one that seeks to bring closure to Adrien about Emilie. If you know anything, Natalie, it will be helpful. You were Emilie's most trusted friend, so I'll trust you...for now." he said cautiously as he looked at her, stepping back to give her way to come in.
Natalie sighed and regained her nerves, stepping inside "Whatever I'll tell you both, you have to keep it between yourselves and keep it in this place. Adrien can't know until we deem it to be right. If there is something I do know, our enemy is everywhere and we can't give them a chance to win" she said, lowering her voice as she closed the door behind her, almost scared that someone was coming after her.
"Enemy? What sort of enemy?" Constantine asked with interest "I'll tell you everything. Let's sit down, it's going to be a long story, just to let you be aware of it".
Whatever it was that Natalie was to tell them, it was going to make the two rethink their original plans. But no matter what, they had one thing they wanted now: Emilie Agreste had to be found, for now the whole world was relying on it. And Natalie could only hope this was just the beginning of bringing it all to an end for themselves.
The end...for now.
As the night slowly turned towards the light of the day, the streets had gone quiet, everyone now desperately hiding in their homes to keep themselves safe from all that had happened. Not just with what happened in the day, but from all else that had happened. Hawkmoth left his mark on the city, for he Akumatised so many people, and helped kill a child with aid from two of Gotham's most fearsome of criminals. His identity alone had divided the whole city, for his name and fame was now being destroyed, but his son's life was now in the centre of it all...and now there was distrust towards Ladybug and Chat Noir after today.
"They're all like sheep. Alone, scared, with no dog or shepherd to guide them, to gather them together to make them see sense. But they will, when the time is right." said a gravely northern British voice as he silently strode under the Eiffel Tower, which had been turned off for the night.
Black boots softly planted themselves on the ground right beneath the middle of the landmark, before a pair of skinny hands lowered down and jammed something into the concrete. It looked dark, like a seed, yet slightly bigger than a normal one. He pressed it hard into the ground until it burst open like a popped berry, dark ooze splattering and shifting into the ground. The figure stood back up, his long leather coat tightly holding to his body as pulled something out from inside it, his bare chest tattooed with the Union Jack Flag.
"Their fear and confusion shall be well used with this seed. Soon they'll turn to me for help, for I see it it as how it is: black is black, and white is white, as Manchester Black knows what's right..."
Meanwhile on Apokalips, Steppenwolf's castle was barren and empty as a result of everybody being sucked into the Source Wall by Grail's Father Box earlier...all that is but one. As such, there was nobody around to hear the questions of the castle's only remaining occupant as Kalibak came out of his unconscious state and called out to no one in particular from inside his cell.
"Um...hello? Anyone here? Hello? I'm starving! Is anyone bringing my dinner? Where's my father? Is anybody coming to rescue me?!"
There was nothing but the wind blowing he gotten in response from, leaving Kalibak stuck in the dungeon he had been long trapped in like the idiot he was.
And thus another crossover comes to an end. Wonder Woman, Ladybug and Cat Noir are back home away from Apokalips and getting some much needed rest. But it seems that as one chapter comes to a close, another opens up. What is Natalie telling Fu and Constantine about Emilie Agreste? Will Adrien hear any of this at all and if so, what will he think? Who is Manchester Black? What has he planted into the grounds of Paris? Is any of this connected to what's happened to Emilie Agreste? Who will be the new heroes to wield Miraculous powers to protect Paris from danger?
So many questions...but the answers don't lie in this story. It's over now! But it isn't the end of Ladybug and Cat Noir's adventures with the DC Heroes yet! Get yourselves ready folks for next time, Ladybug and Cat Noir team up with Young Justice as The Light infiltrate Paris to find out where source of power the city seems to have. It's a sequel you DON'T wanna miss, especially as it may even answer some of the questions this crossover has left us with!
Nothing more to say other than me and my co-writer, Reece Wooldridge/Tails-2-Me, have had fun writing this crossover and we hope you've enjoyed it as much as we did when writing it! We hope you'll enjoy the upcoming sequel with Ladybug and Young Justice too. See you then readers! :D