Fractured (ON HOLD)

Chapter 4 PTSD

Third pov

Marinette feels like she's about to crawl out of her skin when Batman lands on the same roof as her.

She has to run! Needs to get away from threat-

No!

She pushed the panick away and tried to breathe. Unfortunately, her lungs apparently don't remember how to do so.

"I haven't heard anything about Scarecrow running around." Batman says (mutters, screams, is there a difference right now?).

"He's not."

Batman seems to be trying to figure out what's wrong. It doesn't take long before he steps back, out of her personal space. Something she's grateful for.

"PTSD?" His voice is gravely, dark. Marinette wonders if he has to change it. They never did.

"Probably." She admits. "Can't stand the doctor long enough to get an official diagnosis."

There's understanding in his body language. "You're from Paris." It's not a question. He can hear her accent.

"Yes. I am."

As they talk she begins to feel less like her skin is crawling.

"We heard about the situation too late." He says.

She wants to laugh. To scream. "No fucking shit." She spits out. "It was shit over there for years without any back-up."

He doesn't try to defend himself or the other heroes and vigilantes. "You're right."

She gives a bitter, half hysterical laugh. "Seeing the people you know and love die around you time and time again, do you know what that does to someone? Do you know what going around your daily life knowing what it's like to have your head bashed in feels like?"

He doesn't say anything. Just lets her talk.

"I had to watch people die over and over again. I've died several times. They called you! Ladybug and Chat called you! And none of you took them seriously." She cuts herself off and instead starts spitting curses at him in french and mandarin.

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She's cursing him out in two languages and he lets her.

He knows that the JLA messed up by not listening. Even if he hadn't been one of them, he hadn't even known about Hawkmoth until it came up that several JLA members had ignored what they thought was fake calls.

When Diana found out who they had ignored she was furious.

Ladybug was obviously someone that had respect from the Amazons. More than that she'd been too angry to tell them.

She's still, well, not exactly shouting at him. More, telling him facts in a voice that seems to do it's damndest to hammer the point home.

He might very well be growing soft but damn it, he feels for her.

Loosing people is never easy. Never will be.

Loosing them again and again and again? That would push him back into the same dark hole he was in before Dick came into his life.

In the middle of everything Red Hood lands on the roof, his arrival cutting off the young woman completely, although unintentionally.

She's moving backwards now until she's touching the ledge.

Hood is quick to catch on and backs up, figuring that was the reason she now looked extremly uncomfortable.

"Great, is there more of you coming around?" She curses.

Hood gives a barely audible snort. "Nah, no one else. They just sent me ta see what's taking so long. Gotta admit though, ah did hear most of it."

She looks over the edge as if estimating her chances. It made both men a bit nervous.

"Well, ahm gonna take B here. Any objections?"

She shook her head.

Batman was not feeling very assured that she wouldn't do anything stupid, but he could see, just like Red Hood, that they weren't welcome there anymore.

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Time skip

Marinette doesn't wake up until noon the next day. And by then she's feeling pretty awful in general.

Her body is aching and she has a headache.

She knows she needs to get work done but she doesn't have the energy. Instead she takes a scalding hot bath and gets back into bed.

Having time with her own thoughts is rarely a good thing for her. Now isn't any different.

There's a feeling of despair bouncing around in her chest as memories push forward.

She ends up kicking the covers off her and gets her laptop.

Thank god for Netflix. It might just keep her occupied for a few hours.

Time skip

She ends up taking a trip to a nearby store before it gets too dark out, getting sewing supplies and other things she might need.

Once she gets home she starts working on a few ideas she's been thinking about selling to a few clients.

Fuck. She still needs to start on the order from Bruce Wayne before she gets too pressed for time.

Shit!

There's a headache pressing in the back of her head.

No. No, she'll start once she's done with this. She's got six months and no other pressing matters.

She'll be fine.

She'll be fine.

She'll be just fine.

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