Scars cut deeper than Wounds

Chapter 18: The Alleyway

His eyes shot to the door as he heard the 'thud'. He eyed it debating whether or not to follow before he shook his head and allowed his partner's voice back into his head.

"Let's go to my room to discuss this further."

He followed his partner to his room and shut the door with a thud. Their eyes met and he opened his mouth to speak before being interrupted. "I've noticed some things circulating around the street. News of a certain woman's actions."

"About news, your sister--"

"We are not talking about Marinette."

The man's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't understand Damian, there's something about her that--"

"Listen, Jon, if you have some sort of emotional connection with her then--"

Jon reeled back. "I'm sorry, emotional connection? Damian, I just met her! I know nothing about this woman. You're not normally like this. I'm trying to warn you--"

A knock on the door interrupted them and it swung open to reveal Jason. "Damian, we need to talk."

Damian took a glance at the man, Jon, before following his brother out of the room. Jason looked agitated. Damian's eyes furrowed. "Wha--"

"What is wrong with you?"

Damian reeled.

Jason carried on, ignoring his brother's look of confusion. "What you did was wrong on so many levels. Just out-of-the-blue assuming that she was pregnant because she threw up?"

"Wait, hold up. Are you seriously bringing that up?"

"Yes! I am! It could've been anything! Literally anything else. You could've hurt her. How do you think she felt when you just blurted out 'Marinette are you pregnant?'" He repeated the words Damian had said in a low, annoyed voice. "How did you think she would react?"

Damian opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. To be honest, he didn't know. He didn't know what it was that drove him to that conclusion and that conclusion alone. He didn't know why he blurted out what he did. And he definitely didn't know how she could've been feeling at the time.

"I-I don't--"

"You're not the only one who's suffering Damian. You're not the only one who's seen things."
Jason's voice trembled. "I had to watch a woman's baby get ripped out of her body because she was taking too long to give birth! She went into labour at gunpoint. Gunpoint! The baby died before it could even breathe its first breath. We rushed the woman to the hospital but it was too late." He held his breath. "Her last experience before she died was the emptiness she felt with no baby in hand."

Damian watched as his brother trembled slightly. His gaze lowered before casting to his door where Jon leaned against it, listening from inside the room.

Then Jason composed himself. His voice sounded authentic as he spoke.

"Even if it was true, how do you think Marinette felt when you confirmed what could've been one of her deepest secrets?"

Embarrassed. In a room surrounded by a group of men she barely knew as her secret was confirmed while they watched her throw up. The answer to that question was surely, embarrassed.

He swore under his breath. How many times would he mess up before he understood that what he said had an impact?

-&-

Alya walked back and forth non-stop, her mind racing. "I told her to call me! I should've been there when she needed me! I-I don't--"

Nino pulled her into a hug, shushing her before she had the chance to finish her sentence. "I'm not gonna tell you that it's okay, cos it really isn't. But I will tell you that you shouldn't blame yourself. We all know who's fault this was."

But they both knew that it didn't matter who's fault it was. Because in the end, Marinette was still missing.

Like a certain moth, they too did not know the part they would play in this mystery.

-&-

His eyes narrowed in concern. "Is it about Marinette?"

Bruce didn't answer. He fixed his eyes on the screen and have Tim a look. "All you need to know is that he's planning something and I need you to find out what. You will not tell anyone else about this until we've figured out what we're dealing with."

"This is ridiculous!" Tim threw his arms up in exasperation. He knew Joker had many strings up many sleeves, however an attack against their favourite ladybug was not one he'd been anticipating this soon.

Bruce closed his eyes, seemingly calculating something in his head.

It was one thing if Joker attacked Ladybug.

But a whole other thing entirely if he attacked Marinette.

-&-

The message had been sent.

All that was left to do now was carry on.

And so she did.

He feet sped up as she breathed in the air of Gotham city. The smell of gas beginning to form an odd sensation of comfort and familiarity within her.

The feeling of her meeting concrete with every step at a force that sent shivers down her spine reminded her that she was alive. She was living. She was breathing and moving and running.

It made her dare to think that once all of this was over, she could finally be fr--.

She stopped in her tracks before she even knew why.

Tikki and Plagg watched her from a distance, their eyes narrowing before flying down to tuck themselves in her clothing.

"Marinette?"

The world felt as though it were a force speeding past her. However, she felt numb as she stared into the darkness that formed the opening of an alleyway.

A comforting sort of darkness that almost seemed to be beckoning her to come closer.

Then she heard the laugh.

The high shrill of a person who couldn't give a care in the world if the Earth were to suddenly get pulled into a black void.

The sort of laugh that crawled into her, making it's way into every single crevice within her.

It shook her very being.

She almost wanted to join in. Laugh without giving a care in the world.

And then the laugh did the most strangest of things...It curved around her, surrounding her and hugging her. It said "Come closer, let's have some fun."

And so come closer she did. The entrance to the alleyway tempting her like a child to sugar.

And then she was stopped by a voice inside her.  It was only after she was ripped out of her trance that she realised it was not inside her, but in fact near her.

Tikki was beckoning her in the other direction.

Tikki always seemed to have that effect on people. Her sugary voice always seeming to reach inside and hug a person's soul.

And so Marinette turned around and ran.

Leaving behind a voice that was still laughing and an alleyway full of 'what if's'.

Sry for the short chapter! Just wanted to remind u guys that I am still very much alive and still continuing with this series! 😆