mind over mask

ten

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Marinette's POV

I switch to English for their sakes, "Wait, you're from the Justice League. What are you two doing here? I thought we told you guys to stay away, I trusted Diana and Arthur—"

"Just a second Ladybug, I'll answer all your questions, but if you could let Robin down, that'd be great." Nightwing assures me.

I flush in embarrassment, looking at my hand that still secures Robin to the streetlight. I let him down, muttering half hearted apologies. He falls and lands on his feet easily, like a cat.

"It's about time, tt." He mutters in English.

"So you know French, English, and Arabic?" I ask him, trying to be friendly. Passive aggressively.

Robin stills, realizing that I could speak more than just French and English. I chuckle, "Yes, I understood everything you said about me. I think we're even after hanging you from the street light." I laugh.

He scoffs, glaring at me.

I address Nightwing, "What are you doing in Paris? If you guys are akumatized..." I shutter as I consider the possibility. "You need to leave." I finish adamantly.

"We can't." Nightwing almost begs.

"Why not?" I ask in anger.

I had met with Wonder Woman and Aquaman over a year ago. They understood the power of the Miraculous, Queen Hippolyta had been a former holder for the Ladybug Miraculous, and Aquaman knew the follies of the Cat Miraculous after Atlantis sank below the sea.

Along with Chat Noir, we explained the situation in Paris, and asked them to keep the heroes out of the city so we could keep our problem contained. If a super hot akumatized, Hawkmoth could attack more than Paris, and it would only end in tragedy. I trusted them to convince the Justice League to leave us until we could defeat Hawkmoth. Why would they let Batman's partners here?

I paused. Did Diana and Arthur even know that they were here in Paris?

"The Black Mask is working with Hawkmoth." Robin cuts to the chase, trying to be efficient as possible.

I still in my spot and I feel myself turn pale. I want to ask if they're joking, but if they're both here, I imagine they're more than serious.

I sigh, we've been battling Hawkmoth for three years, and the fighting never stops. Even worse, after his constant failures, Hawkmoth was still trying to shift the balance in his favor. But I would make sure that he would never win, even if I had to defend Paris for the rest of my life.

"What is a Gotham villain doing in Paris?"

Nightwing tries to explain, "We don't know, but we're trying to figure it out. Once we're done with our mission, we'll be out of your hair, and Paris will be safe once again."

I shake my head, "No." I can't sit here and do nothing.

"What do you mean, no?" Robin asks in annoyance, and a hint of confusion. I study him for a moment, the fact that he's a whole foot taller than me, and his uniform. The way he stands always ready for a fight.

"I want in." I say, Paris was my city, and it was my responsibility to keep it as safe as possible.

Robin begins, turning to the older vigilante, "No. Nightwing I refuse—"

I interrupt him, "Nobody knows Paris as well as me and my team. And besides, we're your best bet of fighting Hawkmoth, if the Black Mask is truly working with him." I defend my actions.

"And yet, you haven't defeated him yet." Robin points out.

Robin is starting to get on my nerves, which are worse from my lack of sleep. "You don't think I know that? You try to track down a villain who never shows his face. You trying dealing with a villain, who abuses and corrupts magic for his unholy desires. Try tracking down a villain with only the experience you've got is from fighting his akumas." I rant.

"Wait, you don't have a mentor?" Nightwing asks. That's the only thing he got from that?

"No," I lie. We used to, but Master Fu is long gone. There was no use in bringing up the past with Robin and Nightwing, and even if they were heroes, I didn't know if they were trustworthy. I needed to tell Chat Noir and Princess Honey what was happening.

"No supervision whatsoever?" Nightwing repeats.

I start glaring at the two, they're wasting my time. "I think we're doing fine without it. I didn't come here to get judged by two people who don't even know what they're talking about."

I unclip my yo-yo from my belt, and immediately swing off into the distance. They try to stop me, calling me to stay so we finish our conversation. It was finished the moment they insulted me as a hero.

It stung. They were better, better prepared, better trained. I was just trying to the best I could, in the only way I knew how to. But they didn't know the things I had suffered, both as Marinette, and as Ladybug.

I flipped down into an alley where I knew I was out of sight of all technology, and with minimal foot traffic as an extra precaution to protect my secret identity.

"Tikki, spots off."

I detransformed, and Tikki came swirling out.

She looked tired, but immediately pleaded with me, "Marinette, don't listen to them—"

"Not here. Not right now. Please Tikki," my voice cracked, as I tried to keep every emotion buried deep down so that Hawkmoth wouldn't have any more power over my life.

I was done with the day, I had gotten no sleep, fought an akuma, and basically been told that I wasn't doing enough for the city.

I'll never be enough.

Tikki soundlessly got into the purse, not willing to push my buttons even more.

I jogged over to the school, fighting to keep the tears in.

All of the students were exiting the building, collecting their belongings after leaving the safe houses.

The nice thing about akuma attacks is that it disrupted the school day so much there wasn't a point to go back to class.  Our educations were suffering because of  the sheer amount of akuma attacks.

But that was the last thing on the city's mind when it came to Hawkmoth's attacks.

We were all trying to cope.

I weaves my way through the crowds of people, back to our classroom. Luckily, it was empty and I was the last person there to collect my backpack.

If Lila and her posse had stayed to bully me again, I had no doubt that I would've been akumatized, this day had almost been my breaking down. I thanked the universe for my luck, and walked as fast as I could home.

I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching me. I ignore it for now. I guess I'll just have to tell Chloe and Adrien at school tomorrow.

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