mind over mask

fifty-four

Marinette's POV

"Are you ready, Marinette?" Tikki asked me, flying around me in circles.

She was just as excited as I was for this moment. I was an adult now, and I could finally customize my Ladybug suit to be exactly the way I wanted it to be.

"Oh I'm ready." I told her. I had been planning this moment for a very long time.

I envisioned the suit I wanted.

"Tikki, spots on." I whispered.

The Miraculous magic swirled around me in a reddish-pinkish light, and it crawled up from my feet to my neck. And then I finally felt my mask reappear, from left to right.

I looked in the mirror of my room, and immediately loved what I saw. I knew I could never leave the red behind, but black called to me.

My legs were completely black, but on the outside of my thighs it was red with black spots. The center of my suit, at my core, it was black, and remained that way to the mandarin collar. The bottom of my arms were black, but the top had the original pattern that I had been wearing for years. My mask was pure black as well.

It wasn't dark because of how I was feeling, but this helped me feel more powerful. I had taken one more thing that I had no control over, and made it mine.

Besides, I actually looked like I belonged as a vigilante of Gotham.

And perfect timing as always, because the sun was dipping below the horizon, and patrol was right around the corner.

I grabbed my yo-yo, and spun it in a few circles. It was heavier than before, which would be harder to get used to, but I knew I could do more damage with it.

The only thing I needed to match my new suit, was a new name. But those things would all come in time.

I opened the window of my loft, and soared into the warm, summer air.

I searched a few warehouses, but ultimately came up with nothing. I had no leads on the last lost miraculous.

I eventually began to make my way towards our rendezvous point.

I crawled up the side, as I heard the Bat Family talking about me.

"She's not hard to spot," Red Robin began, "She's bright red with black polka dots."

"Ladybug is never late," the Red Hoid said, taking his gun out, and inspecting it.

"Once." Robin reminded the group, "She's been late once."

"You've been late once or twice," Nightwing tried to humble him.

Robin defended himself, "Over the span of several years because of extenuating circumstances."

I rolled my eyes. He was so insecure.

I threw myself up into the air, did a flip, and the landed perfectly in the middle of all of them.

"Sorry I'm late boys," I said, "I had a couple of things to finish up."

"Ladybug?" Nightwing slowly asked, not seeming to recognize me.

Red Hood grunted, "Why did you change your suit?"

I shrugged, "I needed a change of pace."

"It looks good," Nightwing compliments.

"Thanks."

"Now you won't stick out like a sore thumb. The brighter the target, the easier you are to hit," Red Robin clarifies.