Ladybug In Gotham (crossover fic)

Chapter 62 Growing bitter, growing cynical

Third pov

Marinette was eating a few pastries in the kitchen when she got a message from Allegra.

We're coming over today!

She smiled to herself and sent a thumbs up.

"Honey, we have to do a delivery, will you be alright on your own for a while?"

Marinette nodded. "I'll be fine maman, Allegra and the others are coming over soon so i won't be alone."

Sabine relaxed at that. Neither of her parents had wanted to open up for work today but they needed to make money. Knowing Marinette wouldn't be left alone helped ease their minds.

"Alright, you guys have fun and you can take what you want from the kitchen."

Another thing. Her parents were very happy to see her eat and drink. Apparently, she was still looking quite thin.

"See you later!"

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Tkki worried. It was natural that she did, really.

She had spent two months without her proper holder while said holder was in a less than stable condition.

Now, she could see for herself how her holder was doing, and well, it didn't help her worry.

Marinette has physically been okay during the years while her mental state had been, questionable.

(It's normal, really, when a child is thrown into a role they're far from prepared for at such a young age.

Tikki had not been been happy with Fu. There's a reason why you never look to kids as holder if it's not the end of the world.

What little training Fu has is mediocre at best and Tikki knows the reason why. Even if he doesn't like to remember it.)

The Marinette she's seeing now has taken the last step to being far older than her age.

There's a certain bitterness in her that's made itself more prominent, her face has lost the baby fat and gained a slightly sharper appearance and there's slowly a very cynical attitude creeping in.

(Tikki doesn't want another user ending like Mei.)

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Kagami has had a good life. She grew up with a strict but loving mother that taught her what she needed to survive a word that was starting to seem more and more like it wants nothing more than to kill the new generation.

She didn't have many friends as a child. A combination of the fact that she comes from a rich family, and the fact that most just see her as an unfeeling ice queen.

Her first real friend that she made was Adrien Agreste. The other teen had had his bad sides but he accepted her. (He'd been deeply ashamed when he realized just how he'd been acting towards one of his closest friends. Hed worked hard on changing those sides of himself.)

Her second real friend had been Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The girl had been a total doormat when she first met her. So easily pushed around by others. A far cry from the young woman that are leading their team now.

Luka had been her third real friend and she doesn't even know when they became friends. They just suddenly were.

Chloe, she'd taken time to get used to. Kagami had never had a friend with such a, vibrant, personality. But she was happy to be her friend.

She knows that realistically, her mother should know that there's a risk that, one day, she won't come back.

The issue is, that it's not just about her. It's about the whole team. Their safety. And she's not willing to jeopardize that for anything.

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Ladybug landed on closest rooftop to the akuma.

It was dressed in an old theater uniform and had a one of those tragedy masks on their face.

"So, what has the cat dragged in?" Chat landed beside her.

"A bad Shakespeare knock-off." Honey Bee joined them. "I've been tailing her for a few blocks. She even calls herself Shakespeare."

"Any idea what she can do?"

"Whenever she touches someone they're set in a trance where their life is a tragedy."

Ladybug groaned. "Just what we need."

She got two sympathetic pats on her back.

"Well, i guess it's time we take her down."

Time skip

Since they were only three on this one, Ladybug figured out a plan for minimal close combat.

"Chat, you're acting bait. Get her to follow you but do not let her touch you. I will knock her from behind while her attention is on Chat." She explained. "Honey Bee, when i have her caught, you move in and paralyze her. All in agreement with the plan?"

They nodded.

Chat snuck around in the shadows then jumped out and landed right in the Shakespeare's line of sight.

"I get that Shakespeare was popular, i mean, drama and all that. But you gotta agree that most of his works were cat-astrophically boring."

The akuma gave an enraged shriek at that and lunged for him.

Chat barely jumped back in time.

"YOU WILL LEARN TRAGEDY!"

While Chat did his job, Ladybug was waiting for an opening.

An opening that wasn't coming because the akuma didn't have one mask, it had two.

She needed to think fast.

Let's see. The life of everyone she touches will become a tragedy, right?

So what if they can make her touch herself?

With an idea in mind she crept closer, yoyo ready.

Just as the akuma was getting ready to strike at Chat, she caught her hand with the yoyo and pulled it back.

Just as the akuma touched it's own face it was paralyzed.

Ladybug let out a breath and joined her teammates down with the akuma.

Okay, from here on out it's going to be quite a fast tempo and long chapters since we're nearing the end.

I'm posting this despite taking a Christmas break because it was already done. Just needed to add this on the end

Vote and comment, it keeps me motivated :)