The Badass Ladybird of Gotham

Late to the scene

"Joker is out?" Damian said with an emotionless glance. Dick nodded, as he wiggled into his suit in the empty classroom. The boy narrowed his eyes. "Alright. Allow me to grab a spare Robin suit from the locker-"

"You're benched." Damian glared at him.

"Excuse me?" Dick sighed, and sat down.

"Look Babybird. I don't know how he came back or if he did or whatever. You're benched because it's been too soon since you last saw him. And the last time you saw him, was when Marinette was kidnapped." Damian's hand balled up into a fist.

"Well, at least-"

"Why don't you give Marinette support for her presentation or something?" Dick interrupted. Damian rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag.

"Tt, Whatever, Grayson." Damian snipped. Dick stopped him.

"No, I mean it. Go hang out with Marinette. This is a literal 'get out of patrol free' card." Damian sneered.

"Maybe some of us actually like patrol, Grayson." Dick groaned before putting the last bit of armor on.

"Damian, come on. You're a kid! I get that you want to live up to be batman one day, but don't throw away the rest of your childhood!" Damian raised an eyebrow.

"Who said that I had a childhood to begin with? Also, I will become Batman one day." Dick sighed, and placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulders.

"But you won't today, so embrace those days and act like a stupid teenager. I'm not talking get into fights, alcohol or drugs, I'm saying sneak out, skip patrol, and make good memories. You'll regret it if you don't." Dick put the domino mask on, and handed Damian his duffel bag that now held his civvies. "Take that home for me, will you? Thanks." and with that, he jumped out of the window. Damian grumbled, but dragged himself to his locker where he slammed Dick's bag inside. He took a deep breath, and trudged to the library for his study hall period before Chemistry, where the two had their presentations. Damian pushed open the doors, and headed for the corner that the two had found comfortable. She was burrowed under the fluffy blue blanket that she kept in the large library, and was surrounded by papers and electronics. Damian shook his head, and sat on the floor next to her. She gave him a look of surprise.

"Oh, I thought you were going with Dick." Damian shook his head.

"You made a point earlier about the procrastination with the presentation. I'll present today." The corners of her mouth upturned before her focus went back to her iPad. Damian pulled out his laptop and began filing some cases from the last few nights, before Marinette tugged the laptop off of his lap. He knit his eyebrows at her, but stayed silent.

"Can I sit there?" he blinked.

"The floor is solid no matter where you sit, Marinette. It's not going to change." she huffed and rolled her eyes and pointed to his lap with an amused smile.

"How about there?" he deadpanned.

"That's my lap."

"That doesn't answer my question, Damian." He rolled his eyes, and moved his arms, where she settled down.

"Comfortable?" He muttered, putting the computer up on her lap, and slid his arms under hers. She snickered.

"Stop being grumpy. You look like Bruce." he wrinkled his nose.

"I will take that as a compliment. I refuse to tolerate otherwise." She giggled and buried her forehead into his collarbone. He simply kissed the crown of her head and returned to his case, she, following along the passage. She stopped his hand before he could flip to the next tab.

"Damian, he had six men on guard duty, but eight were working according to the way the money was split up. See? That missing amount is two salaries worth." Damian furrowed his brow.

"But if- then that means-" Marinette stood up, nodding with a worried expression. She pulled him to his feet.

"It's a trap. Alright, let's suit up. I have some unfinished business with that clown." Damian huffed, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, trying to ignore the swelling on the left.

"Are you sure? We can just tell Father instead." Marinette shook her head.

"It's too late. I'll go ahead. Meet at their base?" He nodded slowly, before pressing his lips to hers, pulling away quickly.

"Be safe. Promise me." She giggled. 

"I promise." he gave her a small smile before tracing his thumb on her bottom lip, and turned around, ready to sprint to his locker, when a strong arm yanked him back, and her lips smashed onto his. He grunted in surprise, while her own giggles vibrated against his lips. He pulled back, cheeks flushed.

"What was that for!?!" Marinette shrugged.

"I was just finishing what you started. Tikki, SPOTS ON!" and with that, she turned to the library's window, shot him a wink, and tossed her yoyo. Damian huffed before jogging to his locker to grab his suit, cursing quick transformations while the black cat was snickering in his pocket.

"What!?!" he snapped. The cat just shrugged.

"You have two personas and you pick the one that doesn't give you the best protection you can get in the universe." Damian shrugged.

"But mine is better looking, and looks less like a trash bag." Plagg's tail twitched in annoyance.

"Watch it, kid. I wiped out Atlantis. Don't make me wipe out that monstrosity of a-" Damian swiped the cat out of the air and shoved it into his utility belt, before slapping on the domino mask, and following in the path of his bug. When he reached the destination, he froze. He knew that he was late to the scene, but Joker already had a bloody nose, and a what looked like a dislocated jaw, with blood dripping out of his mouth. He looked around for the offender, and saw his angel, being restrained by both Nightwing and Red Robin, Batman holding back joker. Ladybug spat blood out of her mouth, before escaping their grasps and lunging in fury at the clown.

"SAY THAT AGAIN YOU MOTHERFUCKER AND I SWEAR I'LL PUT A BULLET IN YOUR SKULL FASTER THAN HOOD CAN!" She shouted, kicking him in the gut, hearing a satisfying crack of bones breaking. Joker gasped, whilst laughing. Hood swung over, and pulled her into his arms, restraining her in a hug while she thrashed violently. Robin dropped from his perch, all three of the other batboy's eyed him warily.

"What happened?" he snapped. Batman handed the joker over to the commissioner's officers.

"Robin, in the batmobile. And take Ladybug. She's out of control."

"I AM NOT OUT OF CONTROL YOU OVERGROWN SORRY EXCUSE OF A-" Hood covered her mouth before she could let anything else out, and whispered something in her ear. She was still scowling, but remained quiet as Hood handed her over to Robin, who walked her to the car.

"What was that? I mean, I'm proud, but wh-" Ladybug's cold glare cut anything else he was going to say, before she slammed the door shut. Both Nightwing and Red Robin winced. Robin walked over to Batman. "What the hell happened-"

"Later, Robin." Batman growled before giving his statement to Gordon. Robin fumed, and shot his grapple back to the roof of a nearby skyscraper.

"Meet me at the cave, Robin. There are some things we have to go over." Hood muttered in the comms, eerily quietly. Robin rolled his eyes and headed back towards the cave.