Gotham's Lucky Charm (Daminette)

Ch 2 - Goodbye

Marinette took a deep breath. "Looks like it's time for me to say goodbye."

"Are you sure about this, Mari?" Chloe hugged Marinette with tears in her eyes. "Is leaving Paris really the right decision? Gotham is a dangerous city!"

"I'm sure, Chloe." Marinette patted the top of her best friend's head. "Remember Bunnix's warning? I can't risk getting akumatized. Also...it actually sounds nice to leave Paris for a little while. I'm tired of dealing with Lila and her flock."

Kagami, Luka, and Alix stepped forward and threw their arms around Marinette and Chloe, forming a Miraculous Team group hug.

"This is the right decision," Alix sighed. "As much as I don't like this, you need to get out of Paris before Lila sets her latest plan to ruin you into motion. And taking the Wayne Foundation full-ride scholarship for Gotham Academy is your best chance to leave this place before Lila turns your parents against you."

"I still can't believe that my parents could even believe such a lie." Tears welled up in Marinette's eyes.

"Oh, believe me, they would have. I saw it with my own eyes in the burrow."

"Don't worry." Luka wiped the tears from Marinette's eyes. "We'll never believe any of Lila's lies."

"That is correct," Kagami stated in her usual emotionless voice, but her stiff facial expressions softened just a bit with a smile.

"I'm going to miss you all so much!" Marinette exclaimed as she let her friends hold her tighter. "How am I going to survive in a new city without all of you?"

"Well, if you ever need us, we're only one Kaalki voyage away." Luka smiled.

"And you'd better come to us if you have even the smallest problem in Gotham," Chloe huffed. "I expect you to visit us for regular ranting sessions, even if it's just to complain about the awful American school cafeteria food!"

"Indeed," Kagami agreed. "And during your time in Gotham, be careful to not allow anyone to know of the miraculous which you guard...or the powers that the ladybug and horse miraculous have granted you."

"I promise, I'll be careful," said Marinette.

"Marinette! Marinette! Marinette!" Tikki's small voice called out from Marinette's purse. "Look at what time it is! Your flight is about to leave!"

"Is it?! Merci, Tikki, thanks! I wasn't paying attention to the time."

Marinette gave each of her friends a final hug before pulling herself away. She grabbed the handle of her carry-on luggage suitcase and began to walk towards Terminal 1 of the Paris airport. She looked back for a moment and offered a small wave at her friends.

They waved back.

"Dear guardian, I simply do not understand why we must take this bulky metal sky-snail to travel to Gotham?" Kaalki's head popped up beside Tikki from inside Marinette's purse. "It would be far more time efficient if you used one of my voyage portals."

"You're right, it would be much faster," Marinette agreed. "But it would also be suspicious. People might think it's strange if I suddenly disappeared from Paris and appeared in Gotham. By traveling on an airplane, I have evidence and a ticket record that I really did move to Gotham. Solid proof and evidence is the only thing that I have to defend myself while Lila thinks of a new lie to explain my absence from Paris-"

Marinette suddenly bumped into something, or rather someone. She tripped on the toes of the other person's shoes and landed face-first on the airport floor. Her pink carry-on luggage suitcase slid several feet away.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" The other person apologized in English with an American accent. "I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I forgot to watch where my feet were walking."

"C'est bon," said Marinette. "No worries, it's fine."

"Still," the American offered her hand towards Marinette, "I'm sorry for running into you like that."

Marinette accepted the outstretched hand and allowed the girl to pull her up. The American girl was surprisingly strong.

"My name is Stephanie Brown." The girl smiled. "Sorry, again."

Marinette took a moment to study her. Stephanie wore a casual athleisure wear outfit with white sneakers. Her hair was as blonde as Chloe's, tied up in a cute messy bun. She looks like an average American tourist.

So then why did Marinette get the strange sense that there was something off about her: a secret that she was hiding.

Marinette rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

No, that couldn't be true. It must be nothing. Maybe the stress of hiding her own secret was making Marinette go crazy?

"It's okay, I accidentally bump into random people on a pretty regular basis as well." Marinette smiled back. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Nice to meet you!" Stephanie picked up the fallen carry-on luggage suitcase and handed it to Marinette. "You're the first person that I've really gotten a chance to talk to since our plane landed here. I'm so excited about this trip! I've always dreamed of visiting Paris!"

"Really?" Marinette couldn't imagine why someone would be so excited to visit a city that was constantly being attacked by akumatized villains. "Where do you live? Are you from the states? It sounds like you have an American accent."

"Yep, that's right! I'm actually from an American city called Gotham."

"Gotham? You're from Gotham? What a coincidence, that's actually where I'm going."

"No way, seriously?" Stephanie suddenly looked at Marinette with concern. "But why? Gotham isn't exactly a safe place..."

"Don't worry," said Marinette, "I'm used to-"

"STEPH, THERE YOU ARE!" A young man with a dark complexion shouted as he ran towards them. "Cass and I have been looking everywhere for you...oh, uhm, hi?"

"Hi," Marinette said as she waved her hand.

"Sorry, Duke," said Stephanie. "I got distracted while I was checking out Terminal 1 and forgot about our meeting time."

"That's okay," said Duke. "But we've got to get going. Damian just called us about...ahem...you know."

"Ahh!" Stephanie turned toward Marinette. "Looks like this is where we part. It was nice to talk with you. Bye!"

"Au revoir, goodbye," said Marinette. "Stay safe during your stay in Paris."

"You too," said Stephanie. Her face filled with concern once again. "Gotham is a city of danger and madness. Be careful and stay safe."

[Ch 2 - 1,070 words]

Thanks for reading!