Ladybug In Gotham (crossover fic)

Chapter 22 Uh-oh

Third pov

Marinette was so happy to see all the clothes and fabrics that it nearly didn't register as Damian told her that his brothers had been waiting for a designer named MDC to do commissions for people outside of France.

When her brain did catch up to her she asked. "They like MDC?"

He nodded. "Yes. They look at everything the designer does, from what's on her website to catwalks."

"I- I might be able to help with that."

He looked at her. "You can?"

She blushed and nodded. "Here," She handed him a buisness card out of her bag. "I haven't started on it yet, but I have been planning on expanding outside of France."

He looked at the card. "You're MDC?"

She nodded.

He smiled, it was a tiny one but still there. "Maybe I'll send a commision for you, being the best of the best and all." He winked.

Marinette blushed so dark that she thought she'd faint.

Is he flirting with her?

What if he isn't and she's looking too much into it?

What if she makes a fool of herself?

What if whatifwhatifwhatif-

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Damian watched her blush darken and smirked.

He led her into a small cafe. "Do you want to order yourself or can I suggest for you?"

She snapped out of her thoughts. "You can make a suggestion if you want."

He nodded and ordered for them before they sat down in a booth.

Shortly after a waitress came with their food and drinks.

Marinette took a bite out of the pasta salad and hummed at the taste. "This is really good."

"It is. Although nothing beats Alfred's cooking." He ate of his own food.

"I don't know, my parents are good themselves." She had a teasing grin. "They do own the best bakery in Paris."

"Well, Angel, I suppose we'll have to test that theory out someday." He hid his surprise at the nickname he came up with, in another bite of pasta.

It had just slipped out.

But Marinette seems to like it, he noted, as a light blush and a smile showed on her face.

They ate in comfortable silence until they were left sipping on their sodas and talking about daily life.

She told him about school, how she'd been pushed away by her friends and found new ones, how she started standing up for herself, told him about her parents, how it was being MDC.

He told her that he'd come to live at his father's when he was ten, how he wasn't really sure how to behave since it was so different, how he'd slowly gained a few friends and started trusting his siblings and his father, he told her about his pets and about how he liked to draw.

Both leaving out their night lives, but still being more open than they were used to.

Then-

"HELLO GOOD PEOPLE!"

Damian glared at the door where Riddler had walked in, cane held in one hand and an arrogant smirk on his face.

His henchmen stopped any chance of leaving.

"Now, everyone stay calm, I just want you to answer some riddles. If you answer right you get to leave. If you don't, ah well, you better hope you're right." He sighed dramatically. "Now, is there any volunteers?"

Damian swore quietly.

Other than them the only people were the cashier, a mother, a father and their baby, an older man and another teen boy.

Maybe-

"I can answer your riddles."

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While she sounded confident saying it, all confidence left once The Riddler looked at her.

He grinned. "You think you can answer my riddles, girlie?"

She nodded, mentally apologizing to Damian.

"Very well, what eight-letter word still remains a word even after removing each letter from it?"

She answered. "Starting."

He frowned, obviously not happy she made it. "Fine riddle me this, I can be flipped and broken but never move. I can be closed, and opened, and sometimes removed. I am sealed by hands. What am I?"

Marinette thought about it for a few seconds before smiling. "A deal."

**************************************************
Damian looked around trying to figure out a way out of this.

He could definitely admit that his angel is smart but he doesn't feel like risking the Riddlers temper flaring.

Hopefully his brothers or father are on their way.

When he tried to move from his place the attention was placed on him.

Riddler grinned. "Oh my, I hit jackpot. A Wayne. Up for some Riddles boy?"

Damian really hoped his siblings were on their way now, most of Gotham's villains rarely have any patience with Wayne's.

Our first villain appears

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