Maribat March 2021

Found Family

For Maribat March: Day 1 Theme: Found Family

No Ship

Bruce 46

Dick 27

Jason 22

Tim 20

Marinette 18

Damian 13

When Marinette moved to Gotham 3 months ago she never expected it to go so well. So didn't expect it to fail, she just figured she'd live like the average Gotham citizen, glum, angry, and dark. Instead, her business is taking off and she had friends and family in Gotham. People that cared about her and people she cared about.

It started a week after she arrived in Gotham. She applied for an entry-level job at Wayne Enterprises and had just received news of her hiring. She was as excited as someone who got a job as a secretary got. Eventually, Marinette wanted to go to university and get a degree, but it was on the back burner for the time being. For now, she was relying on her basic skills in human decency. Which is more than some of her ex-classmates could say.

Mariette left everything in Paris. Her parents practically disowned her after the reveal, and they had been the only ones keeping her. Well besides Adrien and Chat who she now knew was the same person. But, he moved to London to be with his family after the reveal.

God the damn reveal. The reveal ruined her life because Paris was being protected by children and people didn't like living with that knowledge. Even if Ladybug and Chat had finally defeated Hawkmoth, even if Ladybug and Chat had taken care of the city for years. The two had given up their childhood to be underappreciated in the long run. Then Fu took the miraculous and it was all just over. Gone just like that, so she left.

But back to where it started. A week after she moved to Gotham and a day before she started her new job at Wayne Enterprises. She was at a small cafe near her new job. It happened right after she took the first bite out of the breakfast sandwich she had ordered.

The Scarecrow entered with some goons.

"Well, this shall do," he said to no one in particular, "20 people, the perfect sample for my new fear toxin, anyone want to go first?" No one spoke up and Marinette was already panicking.

She did her research. And she had no interest in being drugged and forced to see her fears play out. So she went into Ladybug mode and accessed the situation. 20 hostages, 6 goons, and the Scarecrow. Not every goon had a weapon. The two guarding the door had guns and one more had one aimed at the hostages.

While accessing the situation Marinette appeared calm to Scarecrow. He didn't like calm people. He nodded over to his goons tilting his head towards the blunette they got the message. And so did she. Marinette froze. She knew there was no cure here.

A needle was injected into her neck. Her fears came to life.

She was back in Paris. The final battle. But this isn't a memory. This isn't how it happened.

"Chat!" she screams.

Hawkmoth has him and she lungs at the villain. Let go of him. Gabriel gets hit right in the jaw, there was enough power behind it to make him stubble over releasing Chat.

Marinette delivers a second punch and a third, they keep coming and with it, she yells, "That's for ruining my life, and that's for ruining your son's life."

Eventually, he's out cold and she's curled up into a ball.

That's when another needle enters her neck. She reaches for the arm behind her and twists it, only to see Red Robin, one of Gotham's vigilantes.