Tim was waiting in the cave before Duke returned. His arms crossed. Shoulders tensed. He didn't expect Marinette back in Gotham so soon. It unsettled him. He knew his profile was lacking, knew it led to these false assumptions and unpleasant surprises. But the only way to fix it was to get closer.
"Do you mind thinking quieter?" Babs asked as she rolled past him to get to the supercomputer. "You'll wake up the whole house at this rate."
"Ha. Ha." He didn't smile. "When's Signal due back?"
Fingers flew, soft clicks following in their wake. A final tap. A map of Gotham appeared on the screen with Signal's icon pulsing a soft yellow. "Five minutes out," Babs said.
Tim pulled up a rolling stool, plopping himself into it with a sigh. His legs kicked out to push him to Babs side. She took one look at him and relinquished her spot. From there, he took over. He didn't dig for more personal information, he knew he wouldn't find anything. No. Now he checked what should be a growing paper trail.
Except, it wasn't growing.
Babs tilted her head at the flight manifests pulled up on the main screen. "Huh."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng was not listed on any flight in the past week. Which unfortunately meant they were looking at some long-range form of magical transportation. Something he couldn't trace. Dammit.
"We have her address. You could just," Babs faked a gasp, "go and visit her!"
"Yeah. Cause that'll go over well. You saw how flighty she was at dinner."
Babs stared.
Tim stared back.
"You- You and Robin glared at her like you wished she'd drop dead on the spot! I sure as hell don't blame her for being a little nervous."
"Look," he sighed, resting his elbows on his knees, "I need more than that. I just…" He ran a hand through his hair. "I can't just trust someone like that. I know it's easy for you and Nightwing but I just can't."
"You think it's easy?" A harsh laugh bubbled up from the woman. "It's a choice, Red Robin. That's all it is."
"A choice I'll make when I have all the facts."
Babs' groan was interrupted by Duke's boots on metal as he dropped into the cave through one of their hidden entrances. He crossed to the two. "Who's puppy died?"
His comment didn't garner a laugh.
"Report," Tim ordered.
With a sigh, Duke leaned casually on the back of Babs' wheelchair. "Found her in Ivy's garden. Weeding."
Tim felt the blood vanish from his cheeks at the same time Babs' face turned white. "Is she…?" he asked.
"She's fine. Ivy likes her, thank God."
Babs slumped in relief. Her fingers began to fly across keys again until security feeds from traffic lights and buildings surrounding the park appeared on the screen. None within the park, however. Ivy destroyed the cameras anytime they tried. It had almost become a game at this point to try to place them without getting caught. Cass held the record with a camera that lasted a week.
"She entered early this morning… here." The screen stuttered, rewound, paused on the frozen form of Marinette Dupain-Cheng mid-step, emerging from an alley. The camera inside the alley was useless, some sort of interference causing static. They couldn't see a thing.
Tim cocked his head. "She wasn't wearing glasses before."
"Contacts?" Babs offered.
Duke leaned forward for a better look, craning his head around Babs'. "Doubt it. She wasn't wearing the glasses in the gardens either."
Not contacts then… What were the glasses for? They weren't sunglasses. He doubted glasses were used in some sort of magic spell. At least, Zatanna never needed them. So why? He let his head fall into his hands.
"If it makes you feel better, she's struggling with this just as much as you, man."
He shook his head. What would some civilian, magic or not, know about how difficult this was for him? Know what it's like to lose people over and over, targeting all because of him. No civilian could know the careful balancing act he played every day, figuring out how close he could get before it became dangerous, never letting it cross that line.
"She lost her family too. Didn't say how, or why, but she knows that loss." Duke kicked Tim in the shins, just enough for it to sting. He jerked to glare in response. "She thinks it's her fault her last family got hurt. She pushed them away to keep them safe. Sound familiar?"
Tim's eyes narrowed further.
"She's trying to rebuild, and it ain't easy for her either."
"She's a civilian," Tim said. "It's not the same."
"So was I," Duke shot back. "And I wasn't exactly spending my evenings at home on the couch." He crossed to Tim, shaking his shoulders. "She has magic, Red. Do you really think she leads a normal life?"
"No. But it's better than this."
Duke's head dropped in exasperation. "Just… talk to her. One-on-one. Okay?"
He didn't like it. Too vulnerable. Too unknown. But logically, Duke was right. Of everyone in the family, he was the one Marinette was likely to give information to. Well, he and Alfred, who already knew about her.
Babs was quiet. She hadn't chimed in with an unsolicited opinion once. He shifted to look past Duke. Damn it. "What are you doing?" he asked slowly, focused on the phone in her hands, her thumbs typing rapidly.
"Reminding Spoiler about a certain party. A party she might want to bring a plus-one to." Her tone light, her implications not.
"The party notorious for getting attacked?" Duke asked. Even he seemed caught off guard by the suggestion.
"She has magic. She'll be fine. I'm more worried about her surviving her conversation with Red Robin."
He glowered. Shoving off of Duke, he scooted his chair further away from the pair, to the other end of the supercomputer's massive keyboard. He let his fingers trace familiar steps across the keys, sinking into an easy rhythm as his mind raced. It was, objectively, a dangerous idea to bring Marinette to the charity gala. Not only for her safety but for the safety of the other Gothamites. Even if she could defend herself with magic, would it be controlled enough to avoid causing collateral damage?
But he also admitted it was the best time to get information out of her. It offered a certain amount of public politeness both would be forced to observe. Gave her a sense of protection with the public around. Forced him to talk about… their relationship instead of her powers. And if something did happen… she might expose more of her powers.
It could work. Then his brain fully registered what Babs had said.
"Wait, why is Spoiler inviting her?"
Babs and Duke gave him identical looks. Disbelief followed by mocking pity.
—-
If she had to give even a modicum of credit to Gabriel's time as a supervillain, she'd give him that he wasn't a warehouse guy. Which meant old abandoned warehouses that normally scream villain hideout instead made the perfect outposts for the Miraculous Court during the war. Most had fallen into a state of disrepair over time, but Adrien had clearly kept up with this one. It was the one they spent the most time just… hanging out in. Incidentally, though they didn't know it at the time, it also happened to be the most physically distant from Hawkmoth's lair.
After years of fighting together, plus a healthy dose of Guardian training, Marinette could easily pick out the auras of three people inside. It should have been two. The third was a surprise. Then again, she should have known they would find a way to show.
She couldn't help but smile at the familiar space upon stepping inside. Very little changed. Only a handful more punny posters and a new set of appliances. And yet, Adrien stood waiting by an old Chinese teapot that once belonged to their master.
"Peach green tea, still?"
She nodded and found a cup full of steaming liquid thrust into her hands. Caffeine would've been preferred but she scared Adrien with one too many sleep-deprived plans for world domination, that Hawkmoth really should've considered, for him to be her supplier. The tea slid down with ease regardless, familiar notes lingering on her tongue like a long-forgotten memory.
"So Dupain-Cheng gets a handcrafted tea while the coffee I asked for fifteen minutes ago is just too hard?" Chloe scoffed. "Ridiculous."
"If you plan to brew a pot, I would request a cup as well," Kagami added in her always over-formality.
Adrien slumped in defeat, muttering something about sidekicks and admin assistants. Helping her crossed her mind briefly, she was the bakery's designated barista after all. Then again, he brought Kagami and, apparently, Chloe into this. Her sympathy shriveled. She pushed past him instead, taking a seat on the ratty old couch as Kagami moved over to give her room. She did wonder why he hadn't replaced it yet. He had the money. And years of Chloe's teasing. Speaking of which, Chloe evidently never got over her dislike of the thing. She lunged in a wing-backed chair she bought for herself two years into the war.
Now came the questions. She made sure hers went first. "Chloe… do I even want to know?"
She flipped her hair, holding her chin high. "No. My ways are secret for a reason, Dupain-Cheng. I can't risk you becoming scarier than you already are."
Two mutters of agreement sounded in the room.
"It was Sabrina wasn't it."
Chloe only sniffed. Marinette hid her smile behind her cup. Some things never changed. Chloe may be a terrifying businesswoman capable and willing to pull the dozens of favors she held at a time, but Sabrina was… somewhere. Doing something. A.K.A, recruited by a shady government agency right out of lycée. She knew far more than Marinette was comfortable with, but for her own sanity, she chose to believe Sabrina used her intimate knowledge of the Miraculous to shield the Order from an increasingly interested government. It was better than the alternative. A threat that needed to be dealt with.
"Adrien said you wished to speak to me about something?" Kagami asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Right." Marinette rubbed her face. Once Adrien finally found a perch on the arm of Chloe's chair—she blamed Plagg for his inability to ever stay still—she began. Unintentionally slipping into her Ladybug voice and simultaneously missing the way the group sat straighter, prouder. "There are many old orders in the world. The Order of the Miraculous is one. Another is the League of Assassins."
A spark of recognition appeared in Kagami's eye. A frown formed on her lips. "I understand why you requested my presence. What did Adrien say?" She asked, her voice tight.
"Just a story about you dueling child assassins."
"He is correct, to an extent." She hummed. Her head tilted. "I am not a member myself, if that's what you were wondering."
Marinette wasn't, but Chloe made an indignant noise from her chair.
"My mother, however, is acquainted." She neatly glossed over exactly what her mother's relationship with them was. "When my prowess as a fencer became clear, her old contacts…," Kagami paused briefly, eyeing Adrien carefully, "… reached out in a forceful manner."
No one missed the way Adrien's fists clenched in his lap.
"You know how they fight," Marinette clarified.
"Yes."
"Good."
"Good?" Chloe hissed. "How is it good that Tsurugi has fought literal assassins?"
Marinette shared a glance with Adrien. His lips turned slightly at the corners, his message clear. No backing out now. If she didn't tell them, he would.
"Because… we're fighting them."
Now it was Kagami and Chloe's turn to share a look. Chloe, fortunately, could only gesticulate her anger in silence while she undoubtedly worked out the perfect string of scathing words to wield as her weapon. Kagami only appeared exasperated.
"It's technically more like a heist than a fight," Adrien pointed out with a shaky smile. He immediately shrank back when Chloe's angry gesticulations ventured in his direction.
Kagami shook her head. "Stupid. Why?"
"Back when the Order of the Miraculous and the League of Assassins enjoyed a… closer partnership, Tikki and Plagg were conscripted into making something known as the Lazarus Pit. A result of a wish. And one that passes on its balance through the souls who bathe in it," Marinette explained.
"Less stupid," Kagami hummed. "It is a miraculous issue. We will go in with our miraculous. Then, a chance is possible."
"Actually-"
"Mari," Adrien cut her off, voice low with warning. Narrowed green eyes met blue.
She held up a hand. He backed off, though his suspicion lingered. "I'm not saying they won't be used, but Tikki and Plagg need to be out for this to work. Which means no Ladybug or Chat Noir."
"What," Chloe breathed. "The actual." Another heaving breath. "Fuck, Dupain Cheng!" She screeched and launched from her seat to pace, finally finding her choice words. "First you show up out of nowhere after disappearing for months only to ask us to fight actual literal assassins to destroy a miraculous wish, all without Ladybug making sure we don't die." She ranted. "Did I get that right?" No one had time to answer before she steamrolled ahead. "You have no right, Dupain-Cheng! No right to-"
"Chloe," Kagami hissed.
She ignored her. "-to keep us out of the game for this long. To even think about doing this on your own."
Heavy breathing followed in the wake of her outburst. No one dared to move, Marinette least of all. Did she really want to die? She hadn't thought so. Brushed off Adrien's claim as an angry outburst, nothing more. Looking back on it, The Signal had been talking to her the same way she approached scared, suicidal kids on the edge of a rooftop when she was Ladybug. And when Chloe laid her plan out in a single string, she couldn't talk herself out of the facts. This mission would kill her if she went alone.
She felt a shift behind her, then warmth as Kagami pressed against her side. Her silent stare asked permission. Marinette turned her head away. Her lip quivered. Not the time to cry. Not the time. But her head betrayed her, dipping in a slow nod, accepting as warm arms encircled her, holding tight. Secure. She let herself lean back into them.
And Chloe continued to glare. The glare she gave when she expected a response and had no intention to leave until one was given.
In Kagami's arms, she found the strength to admit it. "I- I know." Her voice came as a hoarse whisper. "You were right, Adrien. You were right. I thought it would just be as simple as doing one last favor to a family I just met before I pushed them away too. Then I would be done. No one would be left. It would be over. Everyone could move on. Even me."
Kagami's arms tightened around her. Adrien sucked in a shuddering breath. Chloe's glare only sharpened.
"Then you better get that utterly ridiculous idea out of your head right now, Dupain-Cheng." She pointed a threatening finger.
Marinette let out a wet laugh. Chloe changed over the course of the war. Her goals changed, her relationships followed, morphing into something not quite healthy—she was far too possessive of her friends for that—but far from abusive. She was still terrifying when she wanted to be, but she wielded her power and privilege to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. It was thanks to her pestering that Mayor Bourgeois finally devoted funding to building akuma shelters across the city and coordinating with nearby municipalities to build recovery centers just beyond Hawkmoth's reach.
And yet, her attitude remained as intact as ever.
Laughter quickly petered out at the thought. Chloe was here. Familiar in her scathing critiques and annoying drive to challenge her into being better. Kagami too. And Adrien. Her team found her. Not all of them, sure. At this point, Luka likely knew, but he always respected her boundaries more than the others. Always waiting until she was ready for him, ready the moment she decided she needed to let someone in. Nino would know soon, if he didn't already. If Adrien and Chloe combined couldn't talk her down from a crazy scheme, they called in Nino to sort her out. But he wasn't as trained as the rest of them. As much as she loved him, he wasn't ready for this mission. And, he'd tell Alya, who under no circumstances could find out about a League of Assassins.
The point. They actively sought her out, pushing back against her attempts to push them away. Maybe… The Signal was right. There was still a chance. She just hoped she was strong enough to take it after this mission.
"Okay," Marinette said into the silence of three waiting stares.
"Okay," Chloe echoed. She returned to her seat with an exasperated sigh, as if she just scolded a toddler and not the Guardian of the Miraculous. "Why do we care about the Lazarus Pit anyway?" She changed the subject with practiced ease. "Shouldn't the previous Guardian have dealt with them if it's really that bad?"
In unison, Adrien and Marinette let out an undignified snort. Her only response to Chloe's questioning eyebrow was to burrow further into Kagami and use the crook of the girl's elbow to hide the lower half of her face. Partially to hide the lingering tremor in her jaw as she fought back rogue tears, partially to hide her mirthless smile.
"Yeah… he was more of a tell us what to do and leave us to it kind of guy." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck apologetically. As if he were the one apologizing for sending kids to do his dirty work. "I like to think even he thought twice about sending us to deal with assassins alone."
"Doubt it," she mumbled. Not that anyone heard her. Maybe Kagami, but it was always hard to tell with her, compounded by Marinette's inability to see the girl's face.
Chloe groaned, eyes rolling impressively far back in her skull. "So he was incompetent. Great. I still have a question unanswered."
Silence.
"Marinette," Kagami breathed into her hair. A clear offer to talk as softly as she needed.
Hunkering down even further, mug clutched tightly in her hands, she began to explain. About Tim. About Rahul Lama. About Alfred Pennyworth. And finally, about Jason. Kagami absorbed it all, unflinching and without judgment. When she finished, Kagami only replied, "I see," and turned Marinette around in her arms to give a proper hug.
She hid her face in Kagami's neck, arms wrapping around her as if she might disappear at any moment. No. Not disappear. Get up and walk away. Because of her. Vaguely, she was aware of Kagami reporting a summarized version of her story. She didn't pay much attention, focusing on the comforting rumble of Kagami's chest as she spoke, matching her breaths to wave off the panic threatening to overwhelm her.
After a while, Adrien and Chloe calmed down from their initial barrage of questions. *You have a brother? Your biological family has assassins in it? You left Duusu with a stranger?* All went unanswered. Until Kagami shifted, creating just enough space to look down and ask, "Have you considered asking for their help?"
She shook her head firmly. She wouldn't drag anyone else into this life with her. She wouldn't condemn them to a life of secrets and rules and war of humanity as Fu had done for her.
"Mari, breathe." Adrien knelt at her side now, his hands resting on her thighs with the barest hint of a squeeze.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Nodding. Following the rise and fall of Kagami's chest with her own.
Chloe, for once, had the decency to give her four cycles of breaths before her need to pounce outweighed Marinette's recovery. "The Jason character is obviously already involved. Rude child who didn't like you sounds like he is as well."
"What?" Adrien's neck cracked with the speed at which he whipped to face Chloe. "He's a kid!"
"Dueled assassins at five," she pointed to Kagami, "became a superhero at thirteen," she pointed to Adrien, "became a babysitter for a dozen gods at fourteen," her finger found Marinette.
He winced.
"I must agree with Chloe," Kagami stated, her hands beginning to rub Marinette's back to ease the tension quickly rising in her shoulders. "Of course, I will test his abilities first. But the League trains children just as they train adults. He could be one of them already."
Marinette pushed herself away from Kagami's disturbingly comforting touch. "They could get hurt!" She looked around the group, not bothering to hide the anger blazing in her eyes. "We never should have been put in the positions we were. I won't do that to them."
"We're not forcing them into this life, Dupain-Cheng. We're just *asking*. If they say yes, that's their choice."
"He's thirteen!" Marinette shot back. "What thirteen-year-old kid is going to say no to taking down a bunch of ninjas?"
"Hmph. I would never."
Adrien snorted. "Chloe… didn't you cosplay as Ladybug with Sabrina?"
Her face flushed, jaw snapping shut.
"We can at least ask Jason," Adrien continued. "If he went in the pit, he probably knows how to get to it."
"Oh yes, ask the guy who died to come help us. It's not like he's lost before or anything," Chloe said dryly. Nothing cleared up one of her pity parties faster than the opportunity to take someone else down a peg.
"We are going about this all wrong."
Adrien and Chloe's bickering petered out.
Kagami sighed once she had their attention, her gaze finding Marinette's. "You are the Guardian. What miraculous do you need to win?"
Strategy. Think strategy. This she could handle. Logic. Known variables instead of what-ifs dependent on constantly fluctuating emotions.
"The snake."
Adrien nodded. "I've partnered with Sass before."
One down. What else would she need… "I'll wield the mouse," she decided. It was the best way to go about protecting her real identity. Let them think she's only a low-level miraculous wielder. Nothing more.
Kagami nodded encouragingly. Of course! "Ryuuko, for cover." If the girl was surprised, she didn't show it.
"I'll take the bee, naturally. Pollen and I have so much gossip to catch up on."
Her thoughts came to a halt. She winced. "Actually, I wasn't planning to take a bee at all."
Chloe's mouth formed a perfect 'o'. She fell silent. Suddenly taking an interest in her already perfectly manicured nails.
"I still need a turtle, dog, and horse." She chewed on her lip, considering Chloe. She would get along best with Kaalki, but as far as actual powers go, she wasn't a good fit for the horse. Too stubborn, immobile. She briefly considered Barkk but discarded the idea just as quickly. Chloe wasn't loyal as much as she was possessive. It would work in a pinch, but this mission required a stronger match. Transporting an unfamiliar, large object a significant distance away would take a significant amount of energy even for a true holder. Which Chloe was definitely not.
"I need you as my turtle, Chloe."
She scrunched up her nose in distaste.
Marinette sighed. "I know. But Shelter is key to this plan. If anything goes wrong, it could have disastrous consequences. Think Atlantis level." Adrien cringed at the reminder. Chloe simply looked slightly less annoyed. "I trust you to pull this off."
That brought familiar steel into the girl's spine. Her chin jutted out proudly.
"That leaves two. One for the boy, one for Jason." Kagami logic sucked sometimes. Now was one of them.
"I know. But I have a duty to protect the miraculous. To keep them secret. Safe. Revealing their existence to two people already involved with the League of Assassins is ludicrous on a logical level too!"
Adrien shifted from kneeling to sitting, letting his back lean against Kagami's legs, looking up at the two girls on the couch. "Isn't letting something like the Lazarus Pit continue to exist worse for the Miraculous Secret than letting two more in on it?" He held up his hands innocently under the force of Marinette's side-eye. "I'm just saying. At one point most of the class held a Miraculous. Two more people, especially people who already are somewhat involved… it doesn't change much does it?"
"Fine," Marinette managed through gritted teeth. Her thoughts turned to which miraculous the boys would be suited for. "The boy disliked me because he thought I was a threat to his family. He may be suitable for the dog. Jason will have to be my horse."
"Probably?" Adrien asked. "I thought you learned how to sense auras during your Guardian training?"
"I… might have been distracted."
"With what? The brother you didn't tell me about?" He crossed his arms, warmth disappearing from her thighs. She detected the hurt there, but also the light joking tone he tried to disguise it behind.
A flash of golden hair and infectious laughter. She paused. "… Yes. Because of him."
But of course, the universe hated her. Or maybe it was just the universe trying to balance out Tikki's luck. Because at that moment, her phone lit up with a text from an unfamiliar number
Unknown: Hey! Its Stephanie Brown. Tim gave me your number. don't ask me how its probably bordering on stalker behaviour
Unknown: please don't be scared off by that he's only like this when he's sus of someone
Unknown: anyway there's a wayne gala coming up in a few days everyone's gonna be there. oh and its public so if you wanna run away from us again its less awkward. just offering!
Her phone departed her hands before she could respond. Somehow, Chloe managed to get behind the couch unnoticed to read the texts over her shoulder as they came in.
"Hey!"
Chloe unceremoniously dropped the phone back into Marinette's lap. "Thank me later, Dupain-Cheng."
Slowly, she picked up her phone, nervously checking what Chloe had sent.
Marinette: i'll bee there. thx.
"Chloe! You made me sound rude!" She squeaked, quick to type out another message as damage control.
Marinette: Sorry! My friend stole my phone. But I'd love to come! Thank you for the invitation.
Marinette: Also, when you say everyone, you mean even the ones I didn't meet last time?
Stephanie: yup. and no prob. i'm not the only one excited to see you. just the most. jason and dick can fight me.
Stephanie: also prepare yourself for hugs. dick will assault you. with love
Marinette smiled down at her phone, attention solely focused on one Stephanie Brown. The knowing looks passed among her teammates went wholly unnoticed.