Author's Note: Whelp, I apologize for the length of time this took. Long story short, my life is a wreck. On the plus side, if you've only read this story on FF, I forgot to upload this chapter years ago, so I have another one on the way shortly that's already done.
oOo
In a town full of cut-throat pirates, it was always wise to be cautious when every shadow might be hiding a potential enemy.
That was what Master Fu had said as he accompanied Adrien and his crew while Wayzz remained behind to watch over the house. They carefully shuffled along the dark roads at an agonizingly slow pace, not wanting to draw any attention from the wrong crowd.
Whether or not their slow caution had actually helped, they eventually drew closer to the docks without incident, where Adrien could see the dark shape of The Cataclysm floating in the distance. For a town filled with devious miscreants, the night was quiet and almost peaceful. The pitch black water fractured and reflected back the bright shape of the moon with its gentle waves.
Unexpectedly, the dark sky suddenly lit up across the bay with a flash of light and a brilliant explosion of red.
"Hey!" Alix jabbed her finger in the direction of the flare. "Isn't that our distress signal?"
Adrien stared for one hesitant second, long enough for a cold chill of dread to shiver through him before taking off down the street at a sprint, all caution thrown to the wind. He ignored the startled cries of his friends, his rational thoughts too lost in his panic.
The signal could have meant anything, but Adrien couldn't help but worry about Marinette's safety. Had other pirates discovered the mermaids in the bay? Or had they actually spotted Marinette in the surf when she was with him earlier?
His boots crunching heavily over the gravel streets gave way to hollow thuds when he reached the harbor, Adrien practically flying over the rickety dock in his rush. Luckily, there were few people to avoid in his mad dash. At such a late hour, only a handful of sailors milled about; the real crowds were most likely getting drunk at the bars or already passed out. Adrien didn't stop until he skidded to a halt at the end of the pier.
Squinting into the darkness, he could just make out the dark silhouette of The Cataclysm floating in the distance, with their tell-tale signal lamp burning on the deck. He caught a hint of motion, eventually recognizing Kim flailing his arms in a panic once his eyes had properly adjusted.
"Adrien!"
A panicked voice called from below, and Adrien's gaze shot down to find Tikki floating in the water in front of him.
"What's happened?" Adrien dropped to his knees and leaned closer, his pulse pounding with fear and adrenaline. Something had to be seriously wrong if Tikki was taking such a risk to reveal herself so close to town. His eyes flicked around the dark waves, seeing no signs of the other mermaids. "Where's Marinette?" he immediately asked.
"She's..." Tikki's torn expression and wilting voice caused his heart to jolt, a cold sting of fear icing his veins. "She was taken by pirates."
"What!?" Adrien exclaimed as footsteps thundered over the dock after him, eventually coming to a stop nearby. It appeared that his friends had finally caught up, but Adrien's attention was completely focused on Tikki. "How?" he demanded frantically.
"We were watching the dinghy and she saw a man approach," Tikki quickly explained. "Marinette must have thought it was you, because she swam for shore before I could warn her."
"So he took her?" Adrien's knuckles turned white as his grip tightened around the edge of the pier.
"If it were just the one man," Tikki muttered with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry, Adrien, but... It was Captain Hardrock. Her crew came out of the woods while Marinette was beached…" She squeezed her eyes shut, expression contorting with anger. "I tried to stop them, but they carried her further inland. If I still had use of my magic..."
"This is not your fault, Tikki." Her gaze jolted up in surprise at Master Fu's unwavering tone, the old man wearing a solemn frown as he knelt beside Adrien.
"Master Fu?" Tikki's voice cracked slightly, and her expression appeared to falter as her searching gaze flicked over their shoulders. "Is Plagg...?"
Master Fu gave a forlorn shake of his head. "He's not here, but I do know where to find him," he explained gently. He then leaned a little more precariously out over the water, a frown deepening the wrinkles of his face. "I believe we should concentrate our efforts on rescuing your charge, but first I think it's best for me to see to your injury."
"Injury?" Adrien asked, his attention returning to Tikki in surprise.
Tikki's brow furrowed in her hesitation before she eventually leaned back carefully and lifted her tail out of the water. With the red color of her scales, he nearly missed the dark wound until fresh blood welled up near the end of her fin.
"Alix. Max." Adrien pointed to each of his friends in turn. "You two help Master Fu get Tikki onto the boat where he can treat her. Nino and I will go after Marinette."
"Wait!" Tikki splashed up to grab his sleeve before he could stand. "Do you know how to find her?"
Adrien paused, gritting his teeth as he looked over his shoulder and exchanged a fearful glance with Nino. "They might have taken her somewhere on the island..." Adrien started hesitantly.
Master Fu tugged at his beard and scrunched his face. "I have heard Captain Hardrock holds one of the old forts as a base, but it is well hidden and would take some time to find—if we are able to locate it at all. But if she brought Marinette to her ship—"
"Then we might not get to her in time," Adrien finished with a growl.
Tikki reached up to clasp Adrien's hands in her own. "We... have a way to find her, but you must promise to be careful." She hesitated before letting out a trembling sigh.
Adrien squeezed Tikki's hands, his expression set in a determined frown. "I promise, whatever we can do…"
Tikki's gaze wavered for a split second before she nodded. "Rose!" she called out.
"I'm here!" As if she had been waiting for her cue, Rose splashed up out of the dark water.
Tikki swam back so that Rose could move closer to the dock. "You will have to hide her somehow, but Rose's magic can lead you straight to Marinette."
Surprised by that revelation, Adrien didn't ask any stalling questions. He trusted Rose to be able to work her magic, and didn't want to waste any more time that they could be using to get a plan set into motion. Every second counted if they wanted to get Marinette back safely.
Alix and Max helped Master Fu carry Tikki onto the ship to patch up her wound, while Kim followed Adrien and Nino back over the docks. Their burly friend was easily able to lift the petite pink mermaid, making sure to cover her tail with a sheet and wrapping her in the cloth like a cloak so that she couldn't be seen on their way through town.
As they ran, Rose gave them a brief run-down of her ability, explaining that it worked like a form of tracking, and described it as following a 'fragrance.' Adrien wasn't certain how fragrances worked underwater, but he didn't question it.
It didn't take them long to return to the shore where Marinette had been abducted, but every minute felt like an agonizing eternity to Adrien's anxious thoughts.
The impatience broiled within him, tapping his boot against the sand while Rose tilted her head this way and that, directing Kim to turn several times before she eventually jolted, pointing off into the ominous woods and shouting, "That way!"
Following Rose's directions like a hound on the scent, she led them deep into the close-knit trees, away from any roads or proper trails. Adrien began to think they might have gotten lost until they finally came out on a large hill overlooking a secluded beach.
It didn't seem out of the ordinary to the rest of the shoreline, but if he squinted over the sandy dunes beyond the large formation of rocks across the water, Adrien could just make out the signs of a hidden cove. It was something he wouldn't have known to look for if Rose's ability hadn't told her that Marinette was somewhere past that point.
Creeping along the stone formations arching over the waves, Adrien managed to spot Hardrock's ship docked in a cavernous area with several smaller boats. Torches burned like fireflies in the dark hill, and lined a stairway dug out in the surrounding cliffs that led up to the crumbling stone walls of the hidden fort.
"It's no wonder anyone messes with Hardrock… You can't even see this place from the water!" Nino hissed as they ducked behind a large patch of bushes back in the woods. The ocean entrance would have been impossible to sneak into, but the fort-side showed some promise where it connected to the forest. "Not that anyone would willingly mess with her," Nino added. "How in the world are we going to get Marinette out of that?"
"Have a little faith in Marinette," Rose said, peeking from beneath her cloak with a confident smile. "We've gotten out of some tricky situations thanks to her!"
"I don't doubt that," Adrien whispered, pushing aside one of the branches in his way to watch a small gathering of men ambling drunkenly in the shadows of the crumbling building. "But I don't think they'll be keeping her someplace that she can escape easily."
"So, guns blazing or sneak-attack?" Kim asked as he patted the weapon at his belt.
"Stealth," Adrien answered sternly, then pointed at Kim. "But you're bringing Rose back to The Cataclysm . I need Nino to stay here and create a distraction."
"Why do I have to be the distraction?" Nino complained. "Kim's the annoying one. He does a much better job of that."
"Yeah." Kim grinned before it faltered and he shot a frown at Nino. "Hey!"
"Sorry, Kim, but it's true." Adrien smirked back at his two friends. "But Kim's also the strongest out of all of us, so he can carry Rose out of here without much effort. We're not giving those pirates any more mermaids."
oOo
Through the layer of rough burlap that scratched against her skin, Marinette couldn't tell exactly where the pirates were taking her; the only thing she was certain of was that she was in deep, deep trouble.
She couldn't navigate the seas like other mermaids, often getting lost without Alya or the others to guide her, but the least she could tell was that the pirates hadn't traveled very far from the ocean. Marinette could still sense it, albeit faintly… and that gave her more fear than the idea of being taken to their ship.
Wherever they were headed was far enough from the water that it could pose a serious flaw for any escape plan. Even if the ocean was a short distance from where they were dragging her, it would still be advantageous for the pirates. If she somehow managed to escape, they would just grab her like they had before, stopping her from reaching the water or relying on any help from her friends.
Well... not her usual friends.
It was an immense relief that Tikki had been able to escape. Not only was she safe, but it gave Marinette a small glimmer of hope. If Tikki trusted Adrien as much as she appeared to, then she would likely alert him to Marinette's predicament and he might… what? Fight off a horde of pirates just to rescue her?
There was that slim bit of doubt in her mind that dragged down any confidence. While Adrien appeared to care a great deal about her, she honestly knew nothing about him—aside from the fact that he knew who she was in her forgotten past.
And frankly, even if he would risk his own safety to help her, Marinette didn't like the idea of him leaping into danger just to try and save her.
A squeal of rusted hinges pierced the muffled quiet of the sack, and Marinette could have sworn that the darkness pressing around her grew deeper as a door slammed noisily behind her. She focused her attention on the rough murmur of the pirates' voices, the sounds of their heavy, plodding footsteps stomping against a solid surface and echoing along an enclosed space.
Eventually, the heavy clang of a metal latch split through the quiet. "Throw her in here!" the leader's voice rang out.
The bag shifted, and Marinette yelped when her world suddenly tumbled. It was a short drop, followed by a painful landing when she hit a stone floor. Unable to react in time, Marinette's vision exploded in a white burst of stars when her head snapped back to smash against it.
"Not literally!" the woman screamed, shouting out profanities that Marinette couldn't quite catch through the shrill ringing in ears. "One scale of that girl's tail is worth more than your weight in gold, you gigantic oaf!"
The material around her rustled, and a hand eventually reached inside to roughly grab a hold of her tail. Still dazed from the impact, Marinette didn't have the sense to resist as the man dragged her out into a dingy room that was dark and pungent with the smell of mold. The only light came from the flame of a single torch that one of the other men carried.
At the stomp of a boot against the floor near her head, Marinette jolted and lifted her gaze to pick out the pirate leader looming above her.
"I been wondering." The woman kneeled closer, scrutinizing Marinette with a narrow gaze. "Your kind don't exactly make friendly with ours. So what was a pair of you doing so close to shore? Hmm?" she drawled softly, her voice feigning a sick sweetness.
The woman obviously didn't expect a coherent answer. Marinette simply glared as fiercely as she could and let out a heated huff through her nose.
"How 'bout we make a trade?" the woman actually smiled. "Providin' you're not one of them singing sirens that drive men to their deaths, I'll take that off—" she picked at the rag tied around Marinette's head "—and you can tell us what you and yer friend were up to."
Whether or not she was looking for a response, Marinette didn't get any chance to try when the woman suddenly grabbed Marinette's neck and squeezed, her face darkening into a sneer. "And maybe we won't cut out yer tongue."
Marinette's heart pounded with the adrenaline of her terror as the woman's fingernails dug into the soft flesh of her neck. As far as she knew, this pirate's threat was not an idle one, even if she had warned one of her own men to be careful not to damage her.
At the same time, the hard set of the woman's smirk boasted of a confidence that made it seem like she thought she had won, and Marinette's insides seethed at that smugness.
Before the captain could think to expect it, Marinette flung her tail around and managed to hit her right smack in the face. The woman shrieked as the force sent her tumbling backwards, her head nearly slamming into the nearby wall of the cramped chamber. A pair of her men rushed forward with swords drawn, but Marinette lashed out again, managing to knock the sword away from one man while the other scrambled backwards to escape her range.
"Still got fight in ya, eh?" The woman pushed aside one of the pirates that offered his hand to help her up, popping her jaw as she massaged it gently. "That won't stick after you've starved a few days in the brigg."
She bounced back up on her own feet, and with a flick of her hand, the few men ambling along the edges of the cell quickly followed their leader. They shuffled out, and with an eerie squeal, the door slammed shut behind them, leaving Marinette alone in the dark, dingy room with no light to see by.
Minutes crawled by in the quiet of her prison, and Marinette eventually relaxed her tail against the dusty floor. Her chest heaved with quick, uneasy breaths, and her heart pounded from unspent adrenaline. With the threat of the pirates no longer hovering over her, the panic took some time to finally ebb away, leaving her with a hollow feeling of despair.
They had nothing to fear from her. Marinette couldn't work the magic of a siren... But realizing what that woman had somehow learned unnerved her. She knew enough about mermaids to be a threat to her friends. And she was looking for Chat Noir, she thought to herself, recalling what that woman had screamed at her men back on the beach.
She's looking for Adrien...
Marinette had to get back to the ocean, not simply for her sake.
She had to warn everyone.
There was nothing for her to see past the pitch black darkness, but Marinette still twisted her body to feel her way around. She could sense the space of the prison around her and recalled what little of it she'd noticed in the flicker of the torch from earlier. The walls had seemed old and worn, and the pungent smell of mold only supported that. Maybe she could find a loose brick?
Shifting her hands awkwardly behind her back, Marinette managed to reach out to the wall, brushing her fingers over the icy, cold surface of rough stone.
Come on, she pleaded to herself. Even a small rock will be enough to fray the ropes…
As she tested each brick, her fingers eventually settled over something new. A sort of pliable, slick surface. A lever of some kind? She curiously closed her hand around the object.
Spindly legs squirmed against her grip, and Marinette shrieked as she flung herself away from whatever it was, scraping her shoulder against the hard floor. While the insect skittered away, Marinette jittered in repulsion, cursing the pirates for throwing her into such a place.
If I ever get out of here, I'm telling Alya to sink their ship! she silently fumed, laying her head cautiously against the floor and letting out an aggravated sigh.
Once she'd worked up the nerve again, Marinette slowly shifted her hands along the wall, this time moving a bit more precariously in fear of what else may be sharing the cell with her. To her delight, her fingers eventually tapped over a slim crack, and when she poked at the brick, it shifted slightly.
I guess that bug wasn't all bad, Marinette relented as she dug around the stone, eventually dislodging a generous shard from the wall. Clutching the rock carefully, she shifted her arms until the makeshift knife in her hands reached the rope around her wrists.
Her joints were sore and stiff by the time she'd made any progress, but the threads eventually wore down to the point that Marinette simply pulled them away with a snap. With her hands free, she tore the cloth away from her mouth and raised her arm, prepared to toss it into the darkness as far as she could.
But then she paused, lowering her arm as her fingers curled around the fabric, an idea forming in her mind. Picking up the shard of rock from before, she clutched the two objects to her chest, realizing the combination would make a decent weapon if any of the pirates decided to return.
"Okay..." Marinette huffed, exhaustion making her voice sound raspy and faint to her own ears. "Now what?" she grumbled.
At least she had managed to free herself from the ropes, but just what was she supposed to do to escape her cell? Fins didn't work for walking on land, regardless of how close the ocean was. Even if she managed to break open the door through some miracle, she had no way of getting out apart from dragging herself back the way they'd brought her—which would not only be painful, but the pirates would likely stop her before she got very far.
Fidgeting nervously with the rag, she briefly wondered if a song might be able to make it to her friends. Of course, there was no question that a real mermaid's song would have any trouble traveling however far was needed. But according to Adrien and his crew, she had originally been human.
With that in mind, it made sense that Marinette had never been able to sing with the magic of a mermaid, then. But in her predicament? It was worth a shot.
Marinette folded her tail comfortably beneath her, trying to settle as best as she could against the hard, cold floor and remembering Tikki's words telling her to relax. Shivers ran through her from the damp as goosebumps spread across her skin.
Despite the doubt creeping through her thoughts, Marinette started with a gentle hum that she eventually wove into a wordless tune.
Mermaids didn't need words to communicate through their songs. Messages and intentions traveled through every note, conveying their emotions and feelings. If her friends could hear it, then they would understand the solitude and fear that gripped her, and despite the distance, would know her location.
But after a time, Marinette's voice faded, uncertain as to whether or not it was even doing any good.
Marinette leaned back against the wall and breathed out a defeated sigh. She shouldn't have expected anything from it, since her singing had never traveled through the ocean's depths. How could she think her song would break through the rotten dungeon that the pirates had tossed her in?
In the silence of her cell, Marinette startled when the soft tap of footsteps reached her ears.
She sat up straight, hands shaking nervously as she grabbed the rock and fixed it into the middle of her makeshift sling. Whoever was approaching was still far off, his boots echoing distantly down the chamber. But the sound continued to move steadily in her direction, each footstep growing louder by the second.
Marinette raised her sling and spun it in a slow circle above her head as the steps reached her cell. A dim light flickered through the seam at the bottom of the door, and the heavy latch on the other side rattled. Then it began to open.
She waited, frozen, holding her breath as the rusted hinges squealed loudly in protest. The light through the doorway brightened, and Marinette had to squint against the glow after sitting for so long in darkness.
Despite her hazy vision, she tensed when a man's figure appeared in the doorway.
Marinette flung her arm out, letting one end of the sling go and causing the rock to fly toward the opening. It hit the man square in his forehead, and he doubled over with a surprised shout, the candle in his hand dropping with a clang as something else crashed along with it.
"Holy Hell!" the man yelped, ducking back behind the door. "Shit, that hurt..."
"Don't come any closer!" Marinette shouted in warning, brandishing her sling threateningly, even though she didn't have anymore ammo—but she wasn't going to let him know that. "Or I'll do that again!"
"Hold on!" he exclaimed quickly, flailing a hand past the open doorway. " I came to help!"
Marinette squinted suspiciously at him through the dim light. It was difficult for her eyes to focus, considering that the candle had fallen to the floor even though it had miraculously remained lit. She somehow managed to catch the little white handkerchief he waved in surrender.
"You can't be serious…" Marinette muttered, lowering her weapon just an inch.
"I really am." One of his fingers pointed down, and Marinette followed with her gaze to see a mess of something spilled over the stones. An empty bowl had flipped over a nasty mess of some kind of thick liquid splattered over a thin tray. "I thought you might be hungry?"
Marinette narrowed her gaze. "Is this a trick?"
"How could I trick you?" He poked his head around the door, and Marinette's eyes widened when she recognized the man from the boat back on the beach. Hadn't he been digging through Adrien's stuff?
"You could," Marinette growled. "I don't trust you."
"I can't blame you," he answered, sliding cautiously past the door as he carefully picked up the candle. The light softened around the room, and in the gentle light, her eyes finally managed to adjust. "I honestly wouldn't trust someone like me either, in this situation."
When she made no move to attack—only because she didn't have any more ammo—he seemed to gain a bit of confidence and picked the bowl up off the floor, frowning at the spilled contents. The movement must have sent the smell of the contents her way, because Marinette's stomach growled as she picked up the scent.
In the quiet of the room, the man most likely heard, because he glanced up at her with a gentle smile. "I've got some water if you're thirsty, but it might be awhile before I can get a hold of any food again."
"I don't need it," she quickly answered, eyes flicking down to the mess on the floor.
"Your stomach says otherwise," he chuckled, leaning over to place the bowl back on the righted tray. Once that was done, he pulled an odd looking pouch from his waist and set it on the floor, as far out as he could in front of him before taking a step back.
Marinette glanced at the pouch curiously. "What is that?"
"It's water," he answered simply.
"Oh." A silence settled between them. He didn't make any move to leave, and Marinette didn't attempt to reach for the water.
"Were you... singing?" His voice broke the deafening quiet, and Marinette's eyes flicked back to his face. His smile was soft, inviting, and it only made Marinette's irritation grow.
She didn't answer. Instead, she whipped her gaze away and ignored his question.
"It's alright," he sighed. "I just thought... It sounded nice."
"Are you trying to get my guard down?" Marinette spat, agitation dripping in each syllable and bristling along every nerve.
"I'm sorry," he quickly muttered, his hand scratching at the back of his head as his gaze fell to the floor. "I know that I'm technically your enemy. More so since it's my fault you're in this situation to begin with..."
"You're the man from the boat," Marinette snorted. "What were you doing on the beach?"
"Captain Hardrock ordered me to look for signs of Chat Noir," he replied, running a hand through his hair and letting out a tired sounding sigh. "We heard some rumors that he was in town, and that it was Chat Noir's boat on that shore." He then paused and looked at her with an apologetic gaze. "Although you probably don't know who that is."
Marinette narrowed her eyes and left it at that, the silence settling between them once again.
"I know the feeling," he eventually mumbled. "Hardrock brought you here against your will. Not all pirates live the life they do by choice."
Her eyes flicked over him warily, but he didn't add anything to that. The quiet drew out between them again until her curiosity got the better of her.
"Why don't you have a choice?"
"I was born into this." He shrugged listlessly and waved his hands, casting his gaze down at the floor. "I've never had a choice with anything in my life, not with Hardrock as my mother."
Marinette made a disgusted face and took in a sharp breath that came out sounding like a hiss.
"The feeling's mutual," he chuckled, his eyes softening with a look of understanding. "You'd think she might have some love for her children, but with everyone it's all the same. I received an ultimatum when I was just a kid: follow her orders or be killed." He looked up at her again and tilted his head. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"
Marinette stared at him silently, countless thoughts whirling in her head. It's a trap—even if he doesn't seem like the others. He's just faking it.
But he brought food and water? Even if it spilled… Maybe he isn't bad.
"Did Hardrock order you to do this?" she finally asked.
His mouth turned up in a sad smirk and he answered, "She doesn't even know that I'm here." His smile faltered as he shifted uneasily. "Which is a good thing, since she'd probably have me flayed alive if she found out."
Marinette considered that for a moment before she carefully reached forward. He'd laid the container just within her reach, and she grabbed the straps to drag it closer.
He watched her as she quickly figured out how to unscrew the top and tilted it toward her mouth. The water inside was cool and refreshing, quenching her parched throat and filling her stomach a little. It wasn't food, but it would at least hold her over until she got something solid in her.
Marinette lowered the pouch and wiped a stray trail of water from her chin. "It's… Luka, right?" she asked.
He nodded. "How about you? Do mermaids have names?"
It wasn't like a name could be of any harm, right? But she still gave him a narrow look when she answered cautiously, "Marinette."
"Marinette…" He seemed to test her name on his tongue, then he beamed at her with a wide smile. "Of the sea."
At her blank look, he quickly explained, "It's... what your name means?"
"I didn't know it had a meaning," Marinette muttered, fidgeting uneasily with the water pouch, wishing for those memories that she couldn't recall. She ran a calculating gaze over Luka. "You never wanted to be a pirate, right?"
"It wasn't the occupation I would have willingly gone with, no," he scoffed.
She considered that before taking a chance. "Then… would you help me escape?"
His frown deepened, but he didn't appear angry or shocked—just sad. "I want to help you, but..." His voice trailed off.
"Hardrock?" she finished for him and leaned forward on her arms, arching a single eyebrow. She only hesitated before whispering her next words. "Would it help if I told you that I know Chat Noir? And that he'll come here to help me?"
Okay, she wasn't completely certain of that, because honestly? She hardly knew the guy thanks to her amnesia.
But even though their interactions had been brief, his presence to her had felt warm and sincere and just… Like the eye of a storm, Adrien was that calming center, giving her a moment of peace in the midst of her turbulent thoughts.
Plus, Tikki trusted him and called him a hero. It would only make sense that he might try to rescue her, right?
"Chat Noir?" Luka's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Then… That really was his boat?"
Marinette nodded. "He's... a good friend. And he probably knows by now what happened on the beach."
Luka grew silent for a moment, his eyes turned away as he appeared to be weighing something in his mind. Her heart thumped heavily, doubt beginning to creep through her. Did she make a mistake in trusting him with that information?
But then his voice broke the tense quiet. "Okay. I won't say a word to any one." He stood up and dusted off his pants, then he suddenly froze. "Except for my sister... And Ivan." He shot an apologetic look her way. "I know he handled you a little roughly, but he's got a good heart, and he wants to stay here about as much as I do."
"Then you'll help?" Marinette asked, brightening up at the idea of escape.
Luka took a hesitant step forward, then held out his hand. Marinette glanced at it warily before slowly lifting her arm and sliding her fingers against his palm. With a gentle grip, he closed his fist around her own and shook it carefully. "I'll help you however I can, Marinette."